Abstract:
This is a comparative study, carried out in Sudan University of Science and
Technology during the period from November 2008 to April 2009.The study
aimed to compare between paraffin wax that is used as routine embedding
media, beeswax and animal fat (tallow) in impregnation and embedding of
tissues.
Thirty biopsies were obtained from a laboratory animal (rabbit). 10 biopsies
were impregnated and embedded in paraffin wax, 10 biopsies were
impregnated and embedded in beeswax and the remaining 10 biopsies were
impregnated and embedded in animal fat (tallow).
After manual processing all sections were stained with Haematoxylin and
Eosin (H and E) to compare the effect of beeswax, paraffin and tallow on the
features of nuclear chromatin patterns, cytoplasmic details and the
background staining.
Four different histochemical stains (periodic acid Schiff’s (PAS), Alcian
blue and Perl’s Prussian blue and silver impregnation were performed
targeting to certain type of tissues.
The study findings proved that both beeswax and tallow used in this study
showed well impregnation and embedding of the tissues. The two waxes
tested here showed well preservation of the nuclear details, good
cytoplasmic appearance, good tissue architecture and no bad effect on
staining characteristics of the tissue. In addition, beeswax reduced the time
needed for wax cooling. We concluded that both beeswax and tallow were
work well in preparation of tissue specimen as same as paraffin. Thus, we
recommended using beeswax and tallow in our laboratories as national
available waxes.
