Trichrome staining involves a series of steps designed to selectively stain different tissue components. Here's a generalized procedure:
Fixation: Tissue samples are fixed using formalin or another suitable fixative. Dehydration: Samples are dehydrated through a series of ethanol washes. Staining: The samples are stained with the three dyes in a particular sequence. For example, in Masson's Trichrome, hematoxylin is used first to stain nuclei, followed by acid fuchsin for muscle fibers and aniline blue for collagen. Differentiation: Excess stain is removed using specific differentiating agents. Mounting: Finally, the stained sample is mounted on a slide for microscopic examination.
