MultiBrain® Technology provides a tremendous foundation from which NSA is able to provide efficient, low cost services. Complementing this enabling technology is our staining service in which clients send their tissue to NSALabs® for embedding and sectioning, followed by the application of their stain(s). Specifically, NSALabs® strives to offer a wide range of stains including traditional, immunohistochemistry and a variety of proprietary and specialty stains specifically designed to reveal unique features in tissues.

High contrasting images and consistency of stains across sections are the result of NSA Lab's well tested methods. NSALabs® emphasizes high contrast staining results as a standard by which all our stains are measured (traditional or proprietary). Silver, which has long been used for its black color and development capabilities in black and white film, is successfully utilized by NSALabs® in many of the specialty stains. Specially devised preparation of tissues creates an affinity for silver to bind to unique features in brain sections. Different preparations are used to direct silver to bind to completely different structures, allowing for the creation of unique stains. When the silver is developed it becomes pure black which creates the ultimate contrast against unstained tissue. Directing the silver to the appropriate tissue components is an art that NSA has perfected for revealing a variety of unique characteristics in some of our specialty stains.

The list below represents the most common stains requested of NSA. If you don't see a stain you desire, please contact us to determine if NSA can be of assistance.

Traditional Stains:

• Thionine (Nissl): To reveal cell bodies in tissue.

• H&E (Hematoxylin and Eosin): To reveal the nuclei and cytoplasm of cell bodies within which degenerative changes may be observed.

• Weil-Myelin: To reveal the myelinated axons.

• Perls DAB (for Iron): To detect the presence of ferric iron in tissue (normally occurring or from ruptured red blood cells)

• Fluorescence: To reveal fluorochrome molecular markers (such as Thioflavine S bound to amyloid in neuritic plaques).

• Gallyas Neuropil threads

• ApoTag 4

• Mallory Trichrome

• FluroJade

• Congo Red

• PAS

• AChE

Specialty Stains:

• Disintegrative Degeneration (deOlmos' Amino Cupric Silver)

• Alzheimer's pathology: Campbell-Switzer

• Immunohistochemistry (Antibody)

• Reactive Microglia

• Autometallography

• Ischemia Contrast

• Blood Brain Barrier Compromise (BBB) Stain

• In Situ Hybridization: NSALabs does not perform in situ hybridization but sections derived from MultiBrain^® processing are compatible with the in situ techniques.

Click here to contact NSA for details about your specialty staining needs.

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