Gabe's Aldehyde Fuchsin

Solutions

Stock powder
Pararosanilin	5	g
Paraldehyde	5	mL
Hydrochloric acid	10	mL
Distilled water	1	L

Add the dye to the water and boil. Cool to room temperature.

Add paraldehyde and hydrochloric acid. Ripen at RT two days. Filter.

Wash precipitate with 50mL distilled water. Dry the ppt and paper at 60°C.

Store in a labelled container. Stable for about ten years.

Working solution
Stock powder	0.25	g
Ethanol, 70%	200	mL
Acetic acid, glacial	2	mL

Acid ethanol
Hydrochloric acid, conc.	1	mL
Ethanol, 95%	200	mL

Tissue sample
5µ paraffin sections of neutral buffered formalin fixed tissue are suitable. Other fixatives are likely to be satisfactory.

Method

1. Bring sections to water via xylene and ethanol.
2. Place in the working solution for 5 minutes.
3. Rinse well with running tap water.
4. Rinse with acid ethanol for 20-30 seconds to remove excess dye.
5. Counterstain if wished.
6. Dehydrate with ethanol, clear with xylene and mount with a resinous medium.

Expected results

• Elastic fibres  –  purple
• Mast cells  –  purple
• Pituitary βcells  –  purple
• Sulphated mucins  –  purple
• Background  –  as the counterstain
• Nuclei  –  as the nuclear stain

Notes

1. The basic fuchsin used for this solution should be one that is suitable for Schiff's reagent, i.e., it should have a high pararosanilin content. Both methods involve forming a compound between an aldehyde and dye.
2. Light counterstaining with a progressive alum hematoxylin and eosin is also suitable.
3. Many other counterstains can be used, including methods such as Masson's trichrome.

 

Reference

Kiernan. J.A., (1999)
Histological and histochemical methods: Theory and practice, Ed. 3
Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford, UK.
  Citing:–
    Gabe, M., (1976)
    Histological techniques.
    Masson, Paris.