How to Handle Fragile Tissues During Histological Preparation?
Handling fragile tissues requires meticulous care to preserve their structure:
Fixation: Immediate and proper fixation is crucial to prevent autolysis and preserve tissue architecture. Common fixatives include formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde. Embedding: Embedding tissues in a supportive medium like paraffin wax or resin helps maintain their shape during sectioning. Cryo-embedding is often used for particularly delicate tissues. Sectioning: Using a microtome with a sharp blade and adjusting the cutting speed can reduce mechanical stress on the tissue. Frozen sectioning may be preferred for extremely fragile samples. Staining: Gentle staining protocols are recommended to avoid excessive handling and potential damage. Techniques such as immunohistochemistry can be used to highlight specific cellular components without extensive manipulation.
