[Histonet] Glycogen detection

[Bob Richmond]

Galina Deyneko (where? asks: >>Does anybody have experience how fix the
tissues for successful glycogen ? detection in murine and humane
cardiomyocytes. I am wondering maybe the trace of methanol in 10% formalin
will dissolve glycogen?? - What would be better process for paraffin
embedding or use OCT embedding without fixation? Of course I prefer FFPE
blocks, since OCT blocks give bad morphology.<<

Ordinary neutral buffered formalin and paraffin embedding should be
adequate. R.D. Lillie (3rd ed.) notes good results with Carnoy's fixative,
alcoholic formalin, and acetic alcoholic formalin also.

The traditional stain for glycogen is periodic acid Schiff (PAS). You
verify the presence of glycogen by doing the stain with and without amylase
("diastase") predigestion. (A crude but adequate source of amylase is to
just spit on the slide.)

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Maryville, Tennessee