Cook & Lamb Alkali Blue
for Elastic Fibres
Materials
- 0.4% alkali blue in 70% ethanol
- 4% aqueous ferric ammonium sulphate
- 0.05% potassium hydroxide in absolute ethanol
Tissue Sample
5µ paraffin sections of neutral buffered formalin fixed tissue are suitable. Other fixatives are likely to be satisfactory.
Protocol
- Bring sections to water via xylene and ethanol.
- Place in alkali blue solution for 5 minutes.
- Wash with water.
- Place in iron alum solution for 3 minutes.
- Wash with water.
- Rinse with ethanol.
- Rinse briefly with alcoholic potassium hydroxide to clear the background.
- Counterstain if wished.
- Dehydrate with ethanols.
- Clear with xylene and mount with a resinous medium.
Expected Results
- Elastic fibres – blue (blue-green after Van Gieson)
- Erythrocytes – pale blue-green
Notes
- Neutral red, safranin, hemalum and eosin are suggested as counterstains.
- The alkali blue solution lasts for several weeks.
- This is an example of afterchrome mordanting.
Safety Note
Prior to handling any chemical, consult the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for proper handling and safety precautions.
References
- Histological demonstration techniques, (1974))
Cook, H C.
Butterworths, London, England
