title: Understanding microwave-stimulated Romanowsky--Giemsa staining of plastic embedded bone marrow.
abstract: Bone marrow smears were made and fixed in methanol or formaldehyde. Marrow sections of various thicknesses were also prepared from formaldehyde fixed marrows embedded in paraffin or plastic (glycol methacrylate). The different smears and sections were then stained by a Romanowsky--Giemsa procedure. Some specimens were stained using a standard microwave-stimulated method previously used diagnostically. The effects of technical variations were studied, including degree of microwave irradiation and the staining time. Comparisons of the resulting staining outcomes showed that microwave stimulated Romanowsky--Giemsa staining of plastic sections is a rate controlled process. Unusual aspects of the staining pattern of plastic sections (namely the purple basophilic cytoplasms and nucleoli, and blue chromatin) are due to microwave stimulation and formaldehyde fixation respectively.
authors: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06268.
authors: R W
authors: RW
authors: Horobin
authors: M E
authors: ME
authors: Boon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001399:Azure Stains; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D006652:Histological Techniques; D008872:Microwaves; D010640:Phenothiazines; D010969:Plastics; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D001399:Azure Stains; D010640:Phenothiazines; D010969:Plastics; C046541:Romanowsky-Giemsa stain; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS)