[Histonet] PicroSirius red ( PSR) versus Sirius red - Fast Green

[John Kiernan]

I never tried the PSR+fast green FCF method.

It's worth remembering that birefringence under polarized light is seen only with bundles of collagen fibres.  Individual thin collagen fibres (reticular fibres) and basement membranes (as in renal glomeruli) stain red but are not birefringent.  PSR is much easier than traditional (silver) methods.

Thanks, Paula Pierce for bringing up red-green colour blindness.  It's something I'd never thought of in the context of Mallory-type staining.

John Kiernan
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________________________________
From: Paula Keene Pierce via Histonet <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2026 2:40 PM
To: histonet <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu>; Carl Hobbs <carl.hobbs at kcl.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: [Histonet] PicroSirius red ( PSR) versus Sirius red - Fast Green

Hi,
everything that stains yellow with SrPa will be green with SrFg.
With structures staining red and green, a person that is color blind would have difficulty determining the difference.
This is reason aniline blue is used with trichrome as an alternative to green.
However, the birefringence of the collagen under polarized light should be the same.
Paula Keene Pierce, BS, HTL(ASCP)HTPresidentExcalibur Pathology, Inc.5830 N Blue Lake DriveNorman, OK 73069PH 405-759-3953http://www.excaliburpathology.com

A sharp knife is nothing without a sharp eye. - Klingon Proverb

    On Friday, April 24, 2026 at 02:06:36 PM CDT, Carl Hobbs via Histonet <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu> wrote:

 Hi Histonet
Pros and cons re these two methods?
I usually carry out PSR for collagen
( I use the Great  John Kiernan's modification )
Collagen is red, all other tissues are yellow
A new Researcher insists on S.red-Fast Green (SrFg) for quantification
HOWEVER, I note that this also contains Picric acid
How does the Picric acid interact with Fast Green?
Is there a yellow in the SrFg method??
Be grateful for incites before I make this

Be most grateful for advice

Carl


Carl Hobbs FIBMS
Histology and Imaging Manager
Sensory, Pain and Regeneration Centre,
Guys Campus, London Bridge
Kings College London
London
SE1 1UL

020 7848 6810
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