Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. Elastic Staining Kit 860-005

Elastic Staining Kit demonstrates elastic fibers in tissue sections. Elastic Staining Kit is a modification of Hart's method for elastic fibers. A resorcin-fuchsin solution is used to stain elastic fibers dark blue-purple to black. Collagen appears pink-red. Van Gieson's Solution is applied to provide contrasting yellow background tissue. This stain is useful in demonstrating atrophy of elastic tissue in cases of emphysema, and the thinning and loss of elastic fibers in arteriosclerosis and other vascular diseases. In normal aorta, a majority of the tissue is elastic and stains dark blue-purple. In kidney, the renal arteries will stain dark blue-purple, while the cortex will stain pink-red. In lung, the pulmonary artery and bronchial walls contain elastin and will stain dark blue-purple. Under high power, the alveoli also demonstrate an intricate meshwork of elastic fibers. The Elastic Staining Kit stains elastic fibers in tissue dark blue-purple against a yellow background. Collagen in the tissue appears pink-red.