Shokeir & Elgaboury's Alloxan-Schiff
for Rabies Virus
Materials
- Schiff reagent
- Alloxan solution
Material Amount Alloxan 1 g Distilled water 100 mL
Tissue Sample
Best results are obtained with 5 µ paraffin sections fixed in one of the following:
- Neutral buffered formalin
- Carnoy’s fluid
- Ethanol
- 5% acetic ethanol
- 1% trichloracetic acid in 60% ethanol
- Dubosq-Brasil fluid
Protocol
- Bring sections to water via xylene and ethanol.
- Place into the alloxan solution at 37°C for 24 hours.
- Wash gently with tap water for 5 minutes.
- Place into Schiff’s reagent for 15 minutes in the dark.
- Wash with running tap water for 10 minutes.
- Dehydrate with ethanol, clear in xylene and mount with a resinous medium (Canada balsam specified).
Expected Results
- Fixed rabies virus – pink-brown
Notes
- The authors note that this technique will demonstrate fixed rabies virus, but is not specific for them.
Safety Note
Prior to handling any chemical, consult the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for proper handling and safety precautions.
References
- Shokeir, A. A., and Elbagoury, S. M.
Alloxan-Schiff reagent for the detection of fixed rabies virus in the nerve cell
J. med. Lab. Tech. (1966) v23, p. 191-193
