[Histonet] Blood in neural tissue a confound for DNA methylation data?

[Jackson, Thomas]

Hello histotechs!

I am fully aware that this question doesn't fall under the specialty of histology, but I'm hoping that someone might be able to point me in the right direction!

My lab is looking at DNA methylation in brain tissue (as well as sectioning frozen tissue on a cryostat to run IHC, but that is not our current issue- I will likely be seeking some help on that front in the future!).

We have been sacrificing via a transcardiac perfusion, leading with a PBS wash and then followed by 4% formaldehyde in PBS. We have decided to cut the formaldehyde out of the process since the DNA methylation is the most important data for this study. We were then wondering if the PBS wash would still be a necessary step? The PBS wash would eliminate blood from the brain, but we were unsure if that is a necessary step or if "fresh" tissue (with blood) would still give us good DNA methylation results.

Any advice or guidance in this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Thomas

________________________________
Thomas Jackson
Research Technician
Cheatham Nutrition and Cognition Lab
UNC-CH Nutrition Research Institute
500 Laureate Way
Kannapolis, NC 28081
704-250-5028
thomas_jackson <@t> unc.edu<mailto:thomas_jackson <@t> unc.edu>
www.uncnri.org<http://www.uncnri.org>