[Histonet] Tissues storage question

[Blanca Lopez]

Dear Histonets,
I would like to ask everybody what do you think about a specific way to storage tissues in -80 C for long time of periods and how this type of procedure can affect those tissues.
               This is my first time that I heard about this procedure:
I have a customer that storage hundreds of tissues this way, she fixed them in 4 paraformaldehyde for long time then transfer to a 100% alcohol and storage them in -80 C for several years...Can you told me if this procedure is wrong or good and how can affect those tissues?
               I told her that I can test a couple to see how they react...I process them starting 70% alcohol for 12 hrs. processing, cut them (they were little crunchy) and perform an H&E. everything stain pink except the nucleus were fade purple. It looks weird to me.

My question is how can she troubleshooting those tissues? Can we fix them in formalin again and start a new process? Can we wash the tissues in soap water to clean them? How can we do to make those tissue back to normal? Is alcohol a bad storage reagent?

I am kind of loss with this case. I really need to understand how the tissue get affected to be storage this way. How can I troubleshooting?

Thanks for your advices:)

Blanca Lopez
Histotech (ASCP)
UTSW Tissue Resource K1.210
Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Telephone: 214-648-7598
Email: Blanca.Lopez at utsouthwestern.edu


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