VM8054 Veterinary Histology
Example: Glycogen
Author: Dr. Thomas Caceci
On the left is a section of liver, stained to show glycogen. The deep magenta
coloration of the cells is evidence of the presence of this glucose polymer. The
morphology here isn't what you'd see in an H&E preparation, but that's part
of the price you pay for specificity in a histochemical reaction.
On the right, a section from the same block of tissue was treated
with diastase enzyme before the stain was applied. The
staining reaction has been almost completely abolished. Since
diastase is pretty specific for certain carbohydrates, it's possible
using controls like this to make some conclusions about the chemical
nature of the material being stained. In this case, it's
glycogen.
Mouse liver; PAS/PAS-Diastase stain, paraffin sections, 20x and
20x
Lab Exercise List