DECALCIFICATION Flashcards
Purpose of Decalcification
Purpose:
• Removal of calcium and lime salts
• Done after fixation and before dehydration and impregnation
• Calcium might interfere with accurate evaluation and examination
Significance of Decalcification
• Facilitate normal cutting of tissue in sectioning
• Prevent obscuring microanatomical detail of tissue
Organs that require decalcification:
• Bones
• Tuberculous Lungs
• Arteriosclerotic Vessels
• Teeth
Characteristics of a good decalcifying agent
• Rapid, cheap, inexpensive
• Should also render best and accurate result
• Safe
• Readily available
Unique characteristics of a decalcifying agent
Stable
Easily available
Inexpensive
Easy to prepare
Factors affecting the rate of decalcification
Concentration
Tissue-to-Volume ratio
Temperature
Mechanical agitation
Size and consistency of tissue sample
If agent is less concentrated…
Slow acting
What is the tissue to volume ratio
1 : 20
It is the key to a rapid decalcification of tissue
Mechanical agitation
If the tissue is large and thick…
Longer decalcification process
Four types of decalcifying agents
Acid
Chelating agents
Ion exchange resin
Electrophoreis
Type of acids used in decalcification
Nitric acid
HCl
Formic acid
Trichloroacetic acid
Sulfurous acid
Chromic acid
Citric acid-Citrate buffer sol.
Conc. Of nitric acid
5-10%
Routine of mst commonly used decalcifying agent
Nitric acid
Fastest decalcifying agent in the market now
Nitric acid
Nitric acid imparts a color ______ to the tissue sample through ______ formation
Yellow
Nitrous acid
What is the remedy caused by the yellow coloration of nitric acid
Add urea or sodium thiosulfate/ sulfate
70% ROH
Variations of nitric acid
10% aqueous nitric acid solution
Formol nitric acid
Perenyis fluid
Phloroglucinol-Nitric acid
Primarily used as surface decalcification
2% HCl
Components of perenyi’s fluid
Nitric acid + chromic acid + ROH
Fastest decalcifying agent
Phloroglucinol-Nitric Acid
Provides good nuclear staining at 1%
HCl
Lower and causes more distortion than nitric acid
HCl
Von ebner’s fluid is what type of acid
HCl
Decalcifying agent used for teeth and small bones
HCl
Von ebner’s fluid
Component of von ebner’s fluid
HCl + 36% NaCl + distiled water
Good for routine decalcification of post-mortem research tissues, small pieces of teeth and bone, ISH staining
Formic Acid
If the formic acid contains a large amount of_____, it produces better nuclear staining and less tissue distortion
nitric acid
Best for small bone spicules
Good nuclear staining
Slow, weak
Trichloroacetic acid
Best for minute bone spicules
Chromic acid
Chromic acid is also known as
Flemming’s fluid
Best for minute pieces of bone
Weak
Sulfurous acid
Ph of citric acid citrate buffered solution
4.5
principle of chelating agents
Use of other ____ to form complexes with _____ for ease of removal
Salts
Calcium salts
Chelating agents are utilized in ________ and _______ with the help of electron microscope
Immunohistochemistry
Enzyme stainig
Duration for chelating agents
Small tissue sample
Longer and dense bones
1-3 weeks
6-8 weeks
Ph of chelating agents
7-7.4
Common brand of chelating agent
CalEx and Versene
Contains Na2EDTA
Principle of ION EXCHANGE RESIN
Increase_____
Uses formic acid with TSE :_________ (ratio)
solubility
Formic acid of 1:20-30
Remove calcium ions from formic acid containing
decalcifying solutions
Not recommended for hydrochloric acid and nitric acid fluid containing mineral acids
ION EXCHANGE RESIN
ION EXCHANGE RESIN
Decalcification Extent:
Can be measured using physical method by simply _______the tissue sample and/or______
bending or poking
X-ray method
Principle OF ELECTROPHORESIS
• Attracting______ going to the cathode part of the____
calcium ions
agarose gel
Advantage of Electrophoresis
Time is shortened due to heat and electrolytic reaction produced in the process
T or F
Electrophoresis is used for large bones
False
Electrophresis
Decalcification Extent:
Best Measured Using:
• Physical or Mechanical Test
• X-ray or Radiologic Method
• Chemical Method