Histopathological Assessments of Animal Models of Cerebral Ischemia - Animal Models of Acute Neurological Injuries: Injury and Mechanistic Assessments - page 8

Table 1
Brain tissue processing schedule for an automated tissue
processor

Container Fluid Time (min)

1 70% alcohol 30

2 95% alcohol 30

3 100% alcohol 30

4 100% alcohol 60

5 100% alcohol 60

6 100% alcohol 60

7 100% alcohol/xylene 30

8 Xylene 60

9 Xylene 120

10 Wax 150

11 Wax 240

Fig. 3. A tissue section cutting station equipped with a microtome and a water bath.

3. Stain in alum hematoxylin for 5 min.
4. Wash well in tap water and observe sections under a micro-
scope for black/blue staining of nuclei. Usually 5-10 min is enough.
Differentiate in 1% acid alcohol (1% HCl in 70% of ethanol)
for 5-10 s.
5. Wash well in tap water until sections turn blue again.
6. Stain in eosin Y for 20 s.
7. Dehydrate through reverse alcohol gradients (80, 95, and
100%). One to two dips in each grade is enough.