How To Use FD Rapid GolgiStain 

Using the FD Rapid GolgiStain is a complex and delicate procedure that requires careful handling and attention to detail. Here's a general overview of the steps involved in using the FD Rapid GolgiStain:

Materials Needed:

  1. FD Rapid GolgiStain kit (commercially available). 

 

2. Brain tissue samples (usually from small animals like rats or mice).


Procedure:

  • Sacrifice the animal and extract the brain immediately.
  • Slice the brain tissue into thin sections (100-200 micrometers thick) using a vibratome or a microtome.
1. Tissue Preparation:


  • Place the brain sections into the impregnation solution from the FD Rapid GolgiStain kit. This solution contains silver nitrate and potassium chromate.
  • The impregnation process typically lasts for 1 to 2 weeks, during which the silver chromate reaction product forms within a small subset of neurons.
2. Impregnation:
  • After the impregnation period, carefully remove the brain sections from the impregnation solution.
  • Dehydrate the sections in a series of increasing alcohol concentrations (e.g., 50%, 75%, 95%, 100% ethanol).
  • Transfer the dehydrated sections to a clearing agent (e.g., xylene) to make them transparent.
  • Mount the cleared sections onto glass slides using a mounting medium.


3. Dehydration and Mounting:
  • Once the slides are ready, use a microtome to cut very thin sections (usually around 30-60 micrometers thick).
  • Float the sections on a warm water bath (around 45-50°C) and pick them up onto gelatin-coated slides.


4. Sectioning and Staining:
  • Let the sections dry completely on the slides.
  • Apply a coverslip using a suitable mounting medium.


5. Coverslipping:
  • Examine the slides under a microscope with appropriate magnification to visualize the stained neurons and their structures.
  • Record and document the morphology of the labeled neurons using image capture systems.


6. Microscopic Analysis:
  • Examine the slides under a microscope with appropriate magnification to visualize the stained neurons and their structures.
  • Record and document the morphology of the labeled neurons using image capture systems.