Quite a few people add a detergent to their ice soak after facing the block and allow it to sit for a while. This is especially helpful if the tissue is skin.
Jeanine H. Bartlett Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch 404-639-3590 jeanine.bartl...@cdc.hhs.gov -----Original Message----- From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Rene J Buesa Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 11:44 AM To: Jose Luis Palazon Fernandez; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] softening agent for tissues embedded in paraffin blocks Your problem is not finding a "softener" but to decalcify your tissues correctly. Usually histotechs rub decalcifying solutions over the exposed area of the block but that wil affect the quality of the sections so, again, decalcify properly your tissues and you will not have any needs to make any additional "softening". René J. ________________________________ From: Jose Luis Palazon Fernandez <jluis.pala...@icman.csic.es> To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 5:56 AM Subject: [Histonet] softening agent for tissues embedded in paraffin blocks Dear List-members I'm trying to cut some fish muscle samples (along with skin and some bone tissues) embedded in paraffin (fixed in Bouin's fixative and decalcified with EDTA). I find it very difficult to cut these blocks and I would like to know, based in your experience, what tissue softening agent do you recomend to solve this problem. Many thanks in advance greetings, José Luis Dr. José Luis Palazón Fernández Instituto de Investigaciones Científicas Universidad de Oriente Boca del Rio-Isla Margarita-Venezuela Direccion actual: Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucia-CSIC Campus universitario Rio San Pedro, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, España email: jluis.pala...@icman.csic.es; jose.pala...@ne.udo.edu.ve tlf: +34-956832612; fax: +34-956834701; cell: +34-600487100 _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet