[Histonet] Tissue Storage Solutions

[Etheridge, Sandra AGF:EX]

Hello, everyone,

I have a couple issues I was hoping to get some feedback on:

1.  I work in the provicial agricultural animal health lab, and our
veterinary pathologists like to keep the original tissues from exotic
animals, whales, sea lions, other interesting cases, indefinitely.  We are
currently transferring the tissues into 70% Ethanol, after about three
months in 10% NBF, for long term storage.  Does anyone else keep tissue past
three months, and if so, what solution do you store them in?  I have heard
that formalin will keep hardening the tissues and make IHC next to
impossible, and 70% will cause vacuolization of brain and may dehydrate over
time.  I have used both at different facilities I have worked in.
Physiologic saline has been recommended, along with vacuum sealing the
tissues into bags.  Any comments or recommendations??  I'm not really sure
why they want to hold on to the tissues, as we archive the blocks for future
use.

2.  My lab director was at a conference down in Texas recently and someone
off-handedly mentioned that their recycled alcohols were messing up their
IHC staining.  I can't imagine why, and since we are considering the
purchase of a recycler for our alochols and xylene, I thought I would see if
anyone had similar problems.  I know of one local hospital just using the
gravity alcohol recycler filters, and their IHC is fine.

Thanks for your time, everyone.  As always, thanks for the feedback.


Sandra Etheridge
BC Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries
Animal Health Center, Histology
Abbotsford, BC
Canada