Dewaxing

Dewaxing is the treatment of tissue in a flammable substance (xylene, benzene or alcohol) to prevent the formation of lipid deposits on sections and improve their contrast under microscopy. In other words, dewaxing of animal tissues.

This method is based on the different solubility of proteins and lipids that make up tissue elements. Water in the presence of heat promotes extraction and dissolution of the lipid component. Proteins remain on the fabric due to the low surface tension above the solution. They form a horn-like layer on the surface of the tissue, reminiscent in appearance of the protective membranes of connective tissue cells. This explains the increase in the degree of light diffusion through the treated tissues. Therefore, treatment with decixil provides good illumination of the preparation. It is more transparent compared to similar preparations treated with paraffin. This is especially important when staining acidic compounds (muramidase), since they are predominantly found in the superficial layers of the cell membrane, in the skin and bones, which can be explained by the presence of a large number of granular and tubular structures.

It is important to remember how long the fabric needs to be kept after treatment with decylon. For this purpose, use the designations written on the label of the reagent manufacturer. This is usually indicated in numbers from 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the fabric, its size, age and weight. Thus, complete dewaxing of tissues is carried out in 10-15 minutes. Then the finished sections are always thoroughly washed with running water and then with tap water (to remove any remaining