[Histonet] air drying special stain slides rather than dehydrate and clear

[Amos Brooks]

Hi,
     My choice to air dry rather than dehydrate in ETOH & xylene is based
on the stain rather than the spooky xylene hazard boogyman. Yes, not using
xylene if it is not really needed is not a bad idea, but the main reason I
air dry some stains is the alcohols remove some of the stains. Ever have a
beautiful Luxol Fast Blue bleach out on you? The most exasperating thing in
the world!
    Generally stains that end in water can easily be air dried. Something
alcoholic like eosin or Movat's Pentachrome ending in alcoholic saffron
might as well be finished traditionally. I air dry any stain that is
counterstained in Nuclear Fast Red, Light Green, Methyl Green. I have air
dried IHCs with no ill effects too. Don't try it with fluorescents though,
that would be bad ... and pointless.
     I don't put them in an oven. I set them at the front of the fume hood
and go do something else for a few minutes. If I want to rush it I close
the sash to increase the flow rate for a bit. (Of course it is opened back
up right after so the draft works properly.)
Amos


On Tue, Sep 11, 2012 at 11:09 AM, <histonet-request <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> wrote:

> Message: 16
> Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2012 10:32:08 -0400
> From: "Diana McCaig" <dmccaig <@t> ckha.on.ca>
> Subject: [Histonet] air drying special stain slides rather than
>         dehydrate       and clear
> To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
> Message-ID:
>         <DCFD9E6A390E294AAF3A2561CD32E5C417A90529 <@t> ckhamail1.ckha.on.ca>
> Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"
>
> I was hoping to get information on why special stains are dehydrated,
> cleared and mounted vs allowing them to be blotted dry, air dried then
> coverslip.
>
>
>
> Every procedure I have ever encountered always indicates to dehydrate
> and clear but I have heard where some labs are blotting the slides ,
> allowing to air dry (probably not set standard time) and dipped in
> xylene prior to cover slipping.  Reason given is that the counterstain
> gets washed out.  Wouldn't adjusting the times be a better resolution.
>
>
>
> I understand residual water could be present and cause long term issues
> on storage but wanted some other opinions on this process.
>
>
>
> Diana
>