Thank you for all the helpful suggestions about this topic. My sample has been in the fixative until it would be decalcified.
Thank you again, rui > From: r...@leicester.ac.uk > To: ru...@hotmail.com > Subject: RE: [Histonet] Re: Bird head stored in 70% alcohol and possible > decalcification > Date: Tue, 10 Mar 2015 09:49:00 +0000 > > Leave it in formalin for as long as > possible..........................good luck > > -----Original Message----- > From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Rui TAHARA > Sent: 04 March 2015 23:39 > To: gayle.cal...@bresnan.net; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > Subject: RE: [Histonet] Re: Bird head stored in 70% alcohol and possible > decalcification > > Thank you for helpful suggestions. > I have further questions. > Yes, I have a bird head (probably 1 cm X 1 cm ) stored in 70 % ethanol. > But i have a similar size bird head fixed in 3.7% formalin for over night and > am actually processing the head to store in 70% ethanol since my lab is just > ordering the decalcifying solution. I need to decalcify this sample later. > But i am wondering if it is better to keep the sample in formalin for a week > or so till i get the decalcification solution or i should store it in 70 % > ethanol and then fix it for a few days again later? > I am afraid that longer fixative time would affect the sample somehow (e.g. > the sample become too rigid?) > > Thank you, > > rui > > > From: gayle.cal...@bresnan.net > > To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > > Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2015 16:25:28 -0700 > > Subject: [Histonet] Re: Bird head stored in 70% alcohol and possible > > decalcification > > > > You wrote: > > > > > > > > I have an adult bird skull that fixed with formalin and then has been > > stored in 70% ethanol. > > > > I have seen the post that the sample stored in 70% ethanol can be > > walking back through to series of ethanol to water and can be > > decalcified if it needs to be. > > > > > > > > I am wondering if anybody has done this and there is any side effects > > from decalcification after going through dehydration and rehydration > > of a sample compared to a general straight forward protocol from > > decalcification to dehydration? > > > > ********************************************************************** > > ****** > > ********************************************************************** > > ****** > > ******************************** > > > > > > > > I have, in the past, when a weekend arrive, I interrupted acid bone > > decalcification by removing it from acid decalcifier, a quick water > > rinse and immersed into 70% alcohol before returning bone to fresh > > acid decalcifier the next working day. The bones always decalcified > > without problems but I am sure the decalcification took longer since > > partially decalcified bone had to rehydrate. I later learned more > > about dipolar (hope I said that correctly) alcohol slowing and/or stopping > > ionization of calcium > > and ceased using 70% alcohol to interrupt acid decalcification. I now use > > NBF to interrupt decalcification. Interestingly, I learned the alcohol > > technique from the AFIP bone pathology lab. > > > > > > > > Alcohol is put into Perenyi's nitric acid decalcifying solutions to slow > > down or control very rapid nitric acid decalcification. > > > > > > > > You did not say how big the bird skull was? I suggest immersing the skull > > back into NBF to let it totally rehydrate for several days (depending > > on skull size and if the brain is present). I suggest changing NBF if you > > rehydrate longer than a day. You don't need to go back through an alcohol > > gradient since many processing schedules have tissue samples going from NBF > > directly into 70%. If you leave residual alcohol in the bones, the acid > > decalcification could be slower and hopefully not retarded in any way. > > > > > > > > > > It certainly is worth a try. Good luck. > > > > > > > > Gayle M. Callis > > > > HTL/HT/MT(ASCP) > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Histonet mailing list > > Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > > http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet >
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