Special Stain Kits

The Acid Fast Bacteria (AFB) Stain Kit is intended for use in the histological visualization of Acid Fast Bacteria and Tubercle Bacilli.  This kit is a rapid 15-minute procedure.  The lipoid capsule of the acid-fast organism takes up carbol fuchsin and resists decolorization.

Acid Fast Organisms:   Bright Red
Background:                Light Green

Spec Sheet
MSDS

The Alcian Blue (pH 1.0) Stain Kit is intended for use in the histological visualization of strongly sulfated mucosubstances. 

Strongly Sulfated Mucosubstances:  Blue
Nuclei:                          Red
Background:                 Pink

Spec Sheet
MSDS

Application:     For demonstration of the acid mucopolysaccharides.

Results:           Acid mucins are colored blue with nuclei stained red.

Control:           Intestine.

Contents:        Alcian Blue Solution (pH 2.5), 250ml
                       Acetic Acid Solution, 500ml
                       Safranin O Solution, 250 ml

Spec Sheet
MSDS

The Amyloid Stain Kit (Congo Red) is intended for use in the histological visualization of amyloid in tissue sections.  Examination under a polarizing microscope results in green birefringence of amyloid.

Amyloid:         Red to Pink
Erythrocytes:  Light Orange
Eosinophil Granules:   Orange to Red
Nuclei:           Blue

The Calcium Stain Kit (Modified Von Kossa) is intended for use in the histological visualization of calcium deposits in paraffin or frozen sections.

Calcium in mass deposits:         Black
Calcium in dispersed deposits:  Gray
Nuclei:                                      Red
Cytoplasm:                                Light Pink

Spec Sheet

The Colloidal Iron Stain Kit is designed for the histological visualization of acid mucopolysaccharides.

Acid Mucopolysaccharides:   Bright Blue
Collagen:  Shades of Red

The Combined Eosinophil - Mast Cell Stain Kit (C.E.M.) is intended for simultaneous visualization of eosinophils and mast cells.

Mast Cells:    Bright Blue
Eosinophils:  Bright Red
Nuclei:          Blue

The Copper Stain Kit (For Microwave) is intended for the demonstration of copper deposits in tissue sections.

Copper Deposits: Light Brown to Red
Nuclei:                 Blue

The Elastic Stain Kit is intended for use in histological demonstration of elastin in tissue sections.  Demonstration of elastic tissue is useful in cases of emphysema (atrophy of elastic tissue), arteriosclerosis (thinning and loss of elastic fibers) and various other vascular diseases.

Elastic fibers:     Black to Blue/Black
Nuclei:               Blue to Black
Collagen:           Red
Muscle & Other: Yellow

Spec Sheet
MSDS

The Fite’s Stain Kit (For Leprosy) is intended for use in the histological visualization of mycobacterium leprae (leprosy) and Nocardia.

Lepra bacillus:  Red
Nocardia:         Red
Background:    Blue

Spec Sheet
MSDS

The Fontana-Masson Stain Kit is intended for use in the histological visualization of Argentaffin cells and Melanin in paraffin or frozen sections. 

Argentaffin Cells:  Black
Melanin:               Black
Nuclei:                 Red
Cytoplasm:          Light Pink

Spec Sheet
MSDS

The Giemsa Stain Kit (May-Grunwald) is intended for use in the visualization of cells present in hematopoietic tissues and certain microorganisms.  This kit may be used on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded or frozen sections.

Nuclei:              Blue/Violet
Cytoplasm:        Light Blue
Collagen:          Pale Pink
Muscle Fibers:  Pale Pink
Erythrocytes:    Gray, Yellow or Pink
Rickettsia:        Reddish-Purple
Helicobacter Pylori:  Blue
Mast Cells:        Dark Blue with Red Granules

Spec Sheet
MSDS

The Modified Gomori Methenamine-Silver Nitrate Stain (GMS Stain Kit) is intended for use in the histologic visualization of fungi, basement membrane and some opportunistic organisms such as Pneumocystis carinii.  Pneumocystis carinii is an opportunistic pathogen that causes severe pulmonary disease in humans, dogs, rats, mice and other vertebrate species with acquired, induced, or inherited immune deficiency syndromes. In addition, this procedure will demonstrate Actinomyces and related species, Nocardia asteroids, and certain encapsulated bacteria.

Spec Sheet
MSDS

The Gram Stain Kit (McDonalds) is intended for the demonstration and differentiation of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

Gram Positive Bacteria:    Blue
Gram Negative Bacteria:  Red
Other Tissue:                   Yellow
Nuclei:                             Red

The H. Pylori Rapid Stain Kit is designed for demonstrating Helicobactor Pylori infected tissue.  Kit may be used on formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue as well as frozen sections.

Results:
Helicobactor Pylori:     Blue
Mucin:                         Yellow
Background:               Light Blue

The Iron Stain Kit is intended for use in the detection of ferric iron in tissues, blood smears, or bone marrow smears.  Ferric iron is normally found in small amounts in bone marrow and the spleen.  Abnormally large deposits may be seen in hemochromatosis and hemosiderosis.  This product is based on the Prussian Blue reaction in which ionic iron reacts with acid ferrocyanide producing a blue color.

Tissue Sections:

Iron:                 Bright Blue
Nuclei:             Red
Background:    Pink

Spec Sheet
MSDS

The Luxol Fast Blue Stain Kit is designed for staining myelin/myelinated axons and Nissil substance on formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue as well as frozen tissue.  This product is used for identifying the basic neuronal structure in brain or spinal cord sections.

Spec Sheet
MSDS

Mucicarmine Stain Kit (Modified Southgate’s) is intended for use in the histological visualization of acid mucopolysacharides in tissue sections.  This product is useful in distinguishing mucin negative undifferentiated squamous cell lesions from mucin positive adenocarcinomas.  In addition, this product will stain the mucopolysaccharide capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Mucin:        Pink/Red
Capsule of Cryptococcus:   Red
Nuclei:       Black/Blue
Other tissue components:   Yellow

Oil Red O Stain Kit (For Fat) is intended for use in the histological visualization of fat cells and neutral fat.  This kit may be used ONLY on frozen tissue sections, fresh smears, or touch preps.

Fat Cells:      Red
Neutral Fat:  Red
Nuclei:         Blue

This kit is designed to demonstrate many collagen, fibrin, muscle striations, cilia and glial fibers without using Zenker's Fixative as a mordant.

Muscle Striations, Fibrin: Blue
Glial Fibers, Cilia:             Blue
Nuclei:                            Blue
Collagen, Elastic Fibers:  Brownish/Red

Spec Sheet
MSDS