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Tissue clearing made easy

Related

  • IHC application guide
    • IHC kits and reagents
      • Tissue fixation, embedding, and sectioning
        • Immunostaining, detection, and chemical stains
          • Troubleshooting and controls
              • Protocols
                • Sectioning
                  • Fixation
                    • Antigen retrieval

                      ​​Histology stains, fluorescent stains and special stains are used to stain specific cell and tissue structures, and also to stain microorganisms to help identify the location of primary antibody staining.

                      ​​Find information below about

                      • Chromogenic counterstains
                      • Fluorescent counterstains 
                      • Special stains​​​

                      ​​This page is part of our IHC application guide: download it or read it online.

                      ​​Tis page is part of our IHC application guide: download it or read it online.
                      Iron stain kit

                      ​

                      ​​

                      Example of the use of special stains and counterstains. Prussian blue iron stain kit staining iron (blue) in liver tissue. Nuclei and background were counterstained with nuclear fast red.

                      ​​Chromogenic counterstains

                      Chromogenic counterstains are used when the primary antibody is visualized using HRP or alkaline phospatase combined with DAB, AEC, or similar enzyme substrates. The traditional combination is HRP/DAB with hematoxylin to stain nuclei. Eosin, for cytoplasmic staining, is often used in combination with hematoyxolin.   

                      DyeTargetColorProduct
                      Mayers HematoxylinNucleiBlue to violetab220365

                      Nuclear fast red(Kernechtrot)

                      Nucleic acidsRed
                      Methyl greenNucleic acidsGreen


                      Fluorescent counterstains

                      Fluorescent counterstains are used when the primary antibody staining is visualized with a fluorescent dye either directly conjugated to the primary antibody, or to a secondary antibody. Avoid using a counterstain with an overlapping emission spectra to the dye used for  primary antibody visualization.

                      DAPI is traditionally the most popular fluorescent nuclear counterstain.

                      ​

                      DyeTargetColorProduct
                      DRAQ5™Nucleic acidsRedab108410

                      DRAQ7™
                      Nucleic acids
                      Red

                      ab109202
                      Nuclear yellow (Hoechst S769121)Nucleic acidsYellow/Blue*ab138903
                      Nuclear Green DCS1Nucleic acidsGreenab138905
                      Hoechst stainNucleic acidsBlue-
                      4', 6-diamino-2-pheylindole (DAPI)Nucleic acidsBlue-
                      Propidium iodideNucleic acidsRedab14083

                      *Emission is blue/violet under acidic conditions and yellow under neutral pH conditions


                      ​Special stains​

                      Special stains are used to stain certain cell types, microorganisms, and specific proteins, carbohydrates and metabolites found in the tissue matrix and within cells. 

                      Whilst simple to use once established, special stains are often time consuming to set up and optimize. Optimized special stain kits provide a convenient alternative to setting up a stain yourself, and they are often faster to use than the traditional staining methods.


                      Special stain

                      Description

                      Product

                      Acid Fast Bacteria (AFB) Stain

                      Stains microoganisms - specifically acid-fast bacteria and Tubercle bacilli

                      ab150660

                      Alcian Blue (pH 1.0) Stain

                      Stains mucins - acidic mucosubstances stained blue, nuclei pink to red and cytoplasm pale pink (for visualization of strongly sulfated mucosubstances)

                      ab150661

                      Alcian Blue (pH 2.5) Stain

                      Stains mucins - acidic mucosubstances stained blue, nuclei pink to red and cytoplasm pale pink

                      ab150662

                      Alizarin Red Stain

                      Stains calcium - may not-specifically stain magnesium, manganese, barium, strontium or iron depending on concentration

                      -

                      Amyloid Stain (Congo Red)

                      Stains amyloid deposits

                      ab150663

                      Colloidal Iron Stain

                      Stains mucins

                      ab150664

                      Combined Eosionphil-Mast Cell Stain

                      Stains mucins - simultaneously visualize eosinophils and mast cells

                      ab150665

                      Copper Stain

                      Staining copper deposits

                      ab150666

                      Elastic Stain (Modified Verhoff's)

                      Stains connective tissue (eg elastin)

                      ab150667

                      Fite's Stain

                      Stains microorganisms (eg Mycobacterium leprae)

                      ab150668

                      Fontana-Masson Stain

                      Stains melanin and argetaffin granules black

                      ab150669

                      Giemsa Stain (May-Grunwald)

                      Hematologic stain for visualizing cells in hematopoietic tissues and some microorganisms

                      ab150670

                      Hydroxystilbamidine   (also known as Fluoro-Gold™)

                      Fluoresent label that can be used as a retrograde enhancer to label neurons (Ex/Em: 385/536 nm)

                      ab138870

                      Golgi Cox Stain

                      Stains neuronal dendrites and dendritic spines

                      -

                      Gram Stain

                      Stains microorganisms - differentiates between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria

                      ab150672

                      H. pylori Rapid Stain

                      Stains Helicobacter pylori

                      ab150673

                      Prussian Blue Iron Stain

                      Stains iron - highly sensitive stain, stains ferric ions in tissue bright blue

                      ab150674

                      Luxol Fast Blue Stain

                      Stains myelinated axons in brain and spinal cord tissue blue, neurons violet and myelin and phospholipids blue/green

                      ab150675

                      Methyl Green Pyronin (pH 4.8) Stain

                      Stains DNA, RNA and mast cell granules

                      ab150676

                      Mucicarmine Stain

                      Stains mucin

                      ab150677

                      Nissl Stain

                      Stains Nissl body in cytoplasm of neurons

                      -

                      Oil Red O Stain

                      Stains lipids and fat

                      ab150678

                      Papanicolaou (PAP) Red Stain

                      Cytology stain - allows differentiation of a variety of cell types in bodily secretions such as gynecological smears

                      ab150679

                      Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS) Stain

                      Stains mucin - stains glycogen, mucin and fungi magenta and nuclei black/blue

                      ab150680

                      Picro Sirius Red Stain

                      Stains connective tissue - specifically collagen

                      ab150681

                      Pneumocystis Stain

                      Stains Pneumoscystis carinii

                      ab150682

                      Phosphotungstic Acid Hematoxylin (PTAH) Stain

                      Staining connective tissue - specifically collagen, striate muscle and glial fibers

                      ab150683

                      Reticulum Stain

                      Stains reticular fibers in connective tissue

                      ab150684

                      Safranin O Stain

                      Stains mucin, cartilage and mast cell granules

                      -

                      Steiner Stain

                      Stains fungi, H.pylori, L. pneumophila and spirochete-infected tissue

                      ab150685

                      Sudan Black

                      Stains lipids and fat blue/black and nuclei red

                      -

                      Toluidine Blue Stain

                      Stains nucleic acids blue and polysaccharides purple.  Mast cells are stained dark blue/red purple

                      -

                      Trichome Stain (Modified Masson's)

                      Stains connective tissue

                      ab150686

                      Calcium Stain (Modified Von Kossa)

                      Stains calcium grey to black in histology sections

                      ab150687

                      Warthin-Starry Stain

                      Stains spirochetes, H. pylori, L. pneumophila and cat scratch fever bacteria

                      ab150688

                       >> Next page: Mounting Media for IHC

                      ​<< Previous page: Fluorescent detection




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