[Histonet] Washing out formalin fixation

[Mark Tarango]

I think he's talking about using tap water or DI water as antigen
retrieval.  If you took a slide from the oven and ran it down to water and
kept rinsing the slide in running tap water for a few hours, you might get
some antigen retrieval out of the process when the running water removes
some of the hydrogen bonds from the formaldehyde fixation.  The longer the
tissue has been in formalin, the more cross-linked proteins you have, and
the less likely it'd work as antigen retrieval.

 I just don't think this works very well, at least not when I've tried it.
If he wants to try antigen retrieval with just the retrieval solution (maybe
overnight?) it might work.  Cutting out the heat and pressure makes it take
a lot longer and it would definately be ineffective w/ many antibodies.

I'd tell the him it washes out the hydrogen bonds from the formaldehyde and
reverses the initial addition part of the fixation process...when the
proteins start getting cross-linked it won't help you much though.

On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 2:16 PM, Rene J Buesa <rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com> wrote:

> You cannot "unfix" a formalin fixed tissue with running water. It does not
> work that way.
>  René J.
>
> "Johnson, Teri" <TJJ <@t> Stowers-Institute.org> wrote:
>  Last week, a researcher here asked me what the chemical mechanism was of
> washing out the effects of formalin fixation on the tissues with running
> water. In other words, how does it work? Anybody here know?
>
> Teri Johnson, HT(ASCP)QIHC
> Managing Director Histology Facility
> Stowers Institute for Medical Research
> 1000 E. 50th St.
> Kansas City, MO 64110
>
>
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