[Histonet] Von kossa stain

[Tony Henwood]

Interesting,

Meloan & Puchtler (1985) have drawn our attention to Von Kossa's original work on this technique. He regarded only the yellow colouration of calcium deposits during early stages of the reaction as diagnostic for calcium phosphate and credited the blackening to organic matter. Further studies showed that bright light only causes the irreversible blackening of organic matter that masks the yellow silver phosphate. When the reaction is performed in subdued light, yellow to yellowish brown silver phosphate is visualised selectively. Silver carbonate dissolves in sodium thiosulphate and cannot be demonstrated with von Kossa's technique (Meloan & Puchtler 1985 J Histotechnol 8(1):11-13.).

Regards 
Tony Henwood JP, MSc, BAppSc, GradDipSysAnalys, CT(ASC), FFSc(RCPA) 
Laboratory Manager & Senior Scientist 
Tel: 612 9845 3306 
Fax: 612 9845 3318 
the children's hospital at westmead
Cnr Hawkesbury Road and Hainsworth Street, Westmead
Locked Bag 4001, Westmead NSW 2145, AUSTRALIA 


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Breeden, Sara
Sent: Wednesday, 13 April 2011 3:53 AM
To: Webb, Dorothy L; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Von kossa stain

Funny you should ask... just last week I had two requests for a Von Kossa.  That's when I found out that, despite the fact that we just moved into a brand new building with all the bells and whistles, there was not one single UV light in any of the many hoods that had been installed.  Heaven forbid  I could even find an incandescent bulb (we are a "green building").  So, I prepped my slides, put them in a clear glass Coplin jar and parked the jar on the hood of my car for an hour.

Works like a charm.  This all depends, naturally, on (1) if you even HAVE sunshine where you live; (2) how far a walk it is to the sunshine, and (3) whether you have a car hood on which to park the Coplin jar.
Needless to say, out of the line of sight of curious onlookers with sticky fingers and no business wondering what that glass jar is...
Nonetheless, it works just fine!  May the Force be with you.

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