Lendrum, Slidders & Fraser's
Alcian Blue for amyloid

Solutions

Stock A
Alcian blue 8GX 1 g
Ethanol 80% 100 mL
Stock B
Sodium sulphate, hydrate 1 g
Distilled water 100 mL
Working solution
Stock A 45 mL
Stock B 45 mL
Glacial acetic acid 10 mL
Mix. Leave 30 minutes. Prepare daily
Acetic ethanol
Ethanol, 95% 45 mL
Distilled water 45 mL
Glacial acetic acid 10 mL
Prepare daily
Borax Ethanol
Borax as required
Ethanol, 80% 100 mL
Dissolve borax to saturation

Tissue sample
Paraffin sections of formalin fixed tissues are are satisfactory. If using the more complex trichrome counterstains, formal sublimate fixation is preferred.

Method

  1. Bring sections to water via xylene and ethanol.
  2. Place into acetic alcohol for 1 - 2 minutes.
  3. Place into the working solution for 2 hours.
  4. Place into acetic alcohol for 1 - 2 minutes.
  5. Wash with water.
  6. Place into alcoholic borax for 30 minutes.
  7. Wash with water.
  8. Counterstain (see notes).
  9. Dehydrate with absolute ethanol.
  10. Clear with xylene and mount with a resinous medium.

Expected results

Notes

  1. The simplest counterstain is the van Gieson.
  2. If counterstaining with PAS, treatment with alcoholic borax may be omitted.
  3. If counterstaining with silver impregnation for reticulin, the method must not include a Mallory bleach.
  4. The authors suggested their own, more complex trichrome counterstain.

 

Reference
Lendrum, A.C., Slidders, W. and Fraser, S., (1972),
Renal hyalin: A study of amyloidosis and diabetic fibrinous vasculosis with new staining methods.,
Journal of Clinical Pathology, v 25, page 373.

 


 
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Last updated May 2005.