From: Smith, Allen [mailto:asmith@mail.barry.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 1:58 PM
To: Geoff McAuliffe
Cc: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu; mhanna@histosearch.com
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Masson Trichrome stain
While color should not be the sole criterion of tissue identification, the
color imparted by a trichrome stain is often very helpful in identifying
tissues in an unfamiliar organ or animal. Smooth muscle and tendon often
have similar microscopic morphology. That is why trichrome stains were
developed. Personally, I prefer Gabe's trichrome (Kiernan's HISTOLOGICAL
AND HISTOCHEMICAL METHODS, 3rd ed., pp. 158-159) to Masson's.
-----Original Message-----
From: Geoff McAuliffe [mailto:mcauliff@umdnj.edu]
Sent: Monday, September 15, 2003 11:14 AM
To: Brian Hatcher
Cc: mhanna@histosearch.com; HISTONET@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Masson Trichrome stain
Hi Brian:
Using colors to identify tissues is not the way to go. Muscle
(skeletal, cardiac or smooth) and collagen have very different
morphologies, that alone should be the criteria for identification. A
good hematoxylin and eosin or even toluidine blue should tell you what
you need to know.
Geoff
Brian Hatcher wrote:
I am attempting to use Masson's trichrome stain on some rat bone
marrow stem cells cultured on fibrous contstructs. Following staining
with the acid fuchsin, a large amount of tissue growing in between the
fibers is staining red. Following the treatment with aniline blue,
however, this tissue is no longer visible. In some areas it appears
as though it has torn away from the fibers where it was previously
spread between (some arease of floating tissue are visible). My
initial thoughts were that perhaps this tissue was muscle, although
this was a bit supprising as these cells should be differentiating
into osteoblasts in the presence of these fibers. I had also read
somewhere that the collagen would stain red with acid fuchsin,
however, subsequent staining with aniline blue should result in
collagen appearing blue. The only problem is I am seeing neither blue
nor red cells in these specific areas following aniline blue staining.
Any suggestions??? Thanks
Brian
--
Brian Hatcher
Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Florida
PO Box 116400
Gainesville, FL 32611-6400
Ph: 352-392-6656
Fax: 352-392-3771
email: briany@ufl.edu
--
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Geoff McAuliffe, Ph.D.
Neuroscience and Cell Biology
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854
voice: (732)-235-4583; fax: -4029
mcauliff@umdnj.edu
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