Our Services - Special Stains
Listed below are a number of special stains performed on a regular basis which highlight certain structures or cells within a tissue. Below is a selected list, however many more are available; please contact us if you don't see what you are looking for.
Alcian Blue
Glycosaminoglycans
- Polysaccharides stain blue
- Nuclei stain red
Astra Blue – Vital New Red
Mast cells, eosinophils
- Mast cells stain blue, eosinophils stain red
Chloroacetate Esterase
Esterase activity in mast cells
- Esterase activity stain red / pink
- Nuclei stain blue
Congo Red
Amyloid
- Eosinophils and elastin stain brick red
- Nuclei stain blue
- Other tissue elements stain clear / pale pink
Giemsa
Blood cells and parasites
- Nuclei stain blue / purple
- A cidophils stain pink / red
- Basophils stain blue
- Eosinophils stain red / orange
- Mast cells stain purple (granules)
- Parasites stain blue / dark blue
Goldner's Trichrome
Osteoid
- Mineralized bone stain green
- Osteoid stain orange / red
- Cartilage stain purple
- Nuclei stain blue
Masson's Trichrome
Connective tissue
- Collagen fibers stain blue
- Nuclei stain black
- Cytoplasm
- Keratin
- Muscle fibers
- Intracellular fibers stain red
Movat Pentachrome
Elastic fibres, mucin, and collagen
- Elastic fibres stain purple / black
- Muscle stains red
- Collagen and bone stains yellow
- Mucin stains blue
- Ground substance stains blue / green
- Cytoplasm stains pink / brown
- Nuclei stains dark purple / black
Myosin ATPase 4.2, 4.6, 9.4
Muscle fibre types
- Muscle fibre type 1, 2A, 2B, and 2C demonstrated in varying shades of grey to black
Oil-Red-O
Fats
- Lipids stain bright red
- nuclei stain blue
PAS
Carbohydrates, glycogen, mucin, glycoprotein, and some basement membranes
- stains magenta
- Nuclei stain blue
Picrosirius red
Collagen
- Collagen stain red
- Nuclei stain grey / black
- Other tissue elements stain pale yellow
Silver Stain
Neurons, glial cells, and reticular fibers
Toluidine Blue
Mast cells
- Stains red
- Other tissue elements stain varying shades of blue
TUNEL
Cellular apoptosis
- Apoptotic cells stain brown / black
- Nuclei stain light blue
Verhoeff's Van Gieson
Connective tissue
- Elastic fibers and nuclei stain black
- Collagen stains red
- Other tissue elements stain yellow
Wright's Stain
Blood film
- Erythrocytes stain yellow / red
- Polymorphonuclear neutrophils' cytoplasm stain pink / tan
- Eosinophils' granules stain red / orange; basophils' granules stain purple
- Lymphocytes' cytoplasm stain sky blue
- Nuclei stain reddish purple
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