Comments on Zinc Formalin Fixative

Acetic acid-zinc-formalin: a safe alternative to B-5 fixative.

B5 fixation achieves superior morphologic detail. However, environmental concerns have led to labor-intensive and costly requirements for disposal of mercury-containing fixatives. We performed a blinded prospective study to find a safe, mercury-free alternative to B5. Morphology was evaluated with 6 fixatives, including B5, in a blinded fashion. Acetic acid-zinc-formalin (AZF) was selected for ...

A formalin fixative for immunochemical and ultrastructural studies on gastrointestinal endocrine cells.

Using indirect immunofluorescence, indirect immunoperoxidase, and unlabelled antibody enzyme techniques, gastrin, pancreatic glucagon, insulin, and somatostatin were localised in sections of both wax- and resin-embedded tissues that had been fixed in a buffered formalin solution. Ultrastructural preservation of the resin-embedded samples was also adequate for combined electron microscopy and li...

Zinc containing dental fixative causing copper deficiency myelopathy.

A 62-year-old male, previously well, was referred to neurology clinic following 6 months history of worsening lower limbs instability, paraesthesia, pain and weakness rendering him housebound. Examination revealed upper motor neuron pattern of weakness of the lower limbs and loss of proprioception. Serum analysis revealed reduced caeruloplasmin and copper levels with raised zinc. Spinal imaging...

The New Formalin-free Fixative for Optimal Morphology and Molecular Analysis

Will PAXgene substitute formalin? A morphological and molecular comparative study using a new fixative system.

UNLABELLED Formalin fixation and paraffin embedding present the standard procedures for conserving clinical tissues for histological analysis. However, molecular analysis is impaired by the cross linking properties of formalin. The PAXgene tissue system (PreAnalytix, Switzerland) is a new formalin-free tissue collection device. AIMS In this study we aimed to evaluate this new tissue preservat...