[Histonet] Liver sections cracking in drying stage..Help

[Jamie E Erickson]

Hi All,
             I hope someone can help with this problem. I am working on a 
toxicology study that requires sections of Heart, liver and Lung from rats 
on study . These studies we want a quick turn around so we get the tissues 
from necropsy in the afternoon,  livers are scored at necropsy and put 
into formalin jars. I gross the samples Liver (left, midial, caudal lobes 
into one cassette) the next morning  done by 11am  (liver is still pink in 
the middle). The samples are put on the processor (11 hour processor run) 
that night with formalin in the first station so fixation after grossing 
is 10 hours. The next day I embed  and section the samples and dry the 
sections overnight.   Slides are stained and given to the pathologist that 
day. 

My problem is the liver samples all other blocks are fine, the liver 
blocks section fine  but on drying either in a rotating drying oven 
vertically or on the bench  at room temp overnight  some NOT all of the 
liver samples  have lots of cracks and some fall off.  It very much looks 
like areas of water as it dried causes these cracks. Anyone have ideas to 
remedy this problem..?? They want to keep this turn around time if 
possible and liver is a key read out... Any ideas...

Thanks

Jamie
_______________________________
Jamie Erickson
Sr. Research Associate 
Department: DSMP
Abbott Bioresearch Center
100 Research Drive
Worcester, MA 01605-4341
508-688-3134
FAX: 508-793-4895
e-mail: jamie.erickson <@t> abbott.com