Category
Basic
Description
The quality of a tissue sample used for histological analysis robustly influences the accuracy of scientific results and diagnostic interpretation. For fresh tissue samples, the duration between termination and fixation is a major determinant for tissue quality going forward as fixation halts tissue degradation. The condition of the fixed tissue before subsequent processing can have a pronounced effect on staining characteristics and cellular component integrity as examined under the microscope. However, while fresh tissue is frequently considered best, many institutions may only have access to pre-fixed tissue for training or research purposes. The aim of this research is to compare histological quality between fresh intravascularly fixed rat tissue samples and commercially available pre-fixed rat tissue samples. This comparison will help inform the cost-benefit between both models to inform and implemented in Liberty University’s undergraduate histology course.
Histological Quality of Fresh and Pre-fixed Tissue
Basic
The quality of a tissue sample used for histological analysis robustly influences the accuracy of scientific results and diagnostic interpretation. For fresh tissue samples, the duration between termination and fixation is a major determinant for tissue quality going forward as fixation halts tissue degradation. The condition of the fixed tissue before subsequent processing can have a pronounced effect on staining characteristics and cellular component integrity as examined under the microscope. However, while fresh tissue is frequently considered best, many institutions may only have access to pre-fixed tissue for training or research purposes. The aim of this research is to compare histological quality between fresh intravascularly fixed rat tissue samples and commercially available pre-fixed rat tissue samples. This comparison will help inform the cost-benefit between both models to inform and implemented in Liberty University’s undergraduate histology course.
