| Stain
|
Uses
|
Tissue Components Targeted
|
Mechanism of Staining
|
Stains Used
- Primary
- Secondary
|
Other Reagents
|
| Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E)
|
|
- Nuclei - blue
- RBCs - red/dark pink
- Muscle - pink
- Collagen - light pink
|
|
- Harris Hematoxylin (nuclear)
- Eosin Y (cytoplasm)
|
Harris Hematoxylin
Acid Alcohol
Scott's tap water substitute
Eosin Y
|
| Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS)
|
- Identifying glycogen, starches, and fungi (chitin)
|
|
|
|
|
| Alcian Blue (AB)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Alcian Blue + Periodic Acid-Schiff (AB PAS)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Congo Red
|
- Identifying amyloid deposits
|
|
Hydrogen bonding
|
|
|
| Masson Trichrome
|
- Identifying fibrotic tissue
|
Connective Tissue Stain
- Nuclei - blue-black
- RBCs - dark red
- Muscle - red
- Cytoplasm - red
- Collagen - varies by stain (often green or blue)
|
Porosity and ionic bonding
|
No primary stain.
- Iron hematoxylin (nuclear)
- Ponceau (dense connective)
- Light green or aniline blue (loose connective)
|
|
| Gordon and Sweet's Reticulin
|
- Identifies reticulin fibres (type III & IV collagen)
- Differential diagnosis of certain tumour types
|
Connective Tissue Stain
|
Metallic impregnation
- Argyophilic metallic impregnation & substitution
|
|
|
| Verhoeff's Van Giesen
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Oil Red O
|
- Identifying triglycerides, lipids, and lipoproteins
|
|
|
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|
