苏木素(Hematoxylin)和伊红(Eosin)联合染色简称HE染色,是病理学和组织学最常用的一种染色方法。苏木精为碱性天然染料,可使细胞核着色。细胞核内染色质的主要成分是DNA,在DNA的双螺旋结构中,两条核苷酸链上的磷酸基向外,使DNA双螺旋的外侧带负电荷,呈酸性,很容易与带正电荷的苏木精碱性染料以离子键或氢键结合而被染色。
Carazzi苏木素染色液主要由苏木素、硫酸铝钾等组成,属于明矾苏木素液的一种,染色液中苏木素含量小,无氧化膜形成,对细胞核染色很清晰,不着染胞质和纤维成分,属进行性染色,对酶组化和免疫组化等染色后复染细胞核,尤其适用于在经过特殊染色后不能经酸处理时对细胞核的复染。此时所用的时间较短 (通常8-10min),染完后即可进行蓝化,不必分化。
染色原理:
1、细胞核染色的原理:苏木素为碱性天然染料,可使细胞核着色。细胞核内染色质的成分主要是DNA,在DNA双螺旋结构中,两条核苷酸链上的磷酸基向外,使DNA双螺旋的外侧带负电荷,呈酸性,很容易与带正电荷的苏木素碱性染料以离子键或氢键结合而被染色。苏木素在碱性溶液中呈蓝色,所以细胞核被染成蓝色。
2、细胞浆染色的原理:伊红是一种化学合成的酸性染料,在一定条件下可使细胞浆着色。细胞浆的主要成分是蛋白质,为两性化合物,细胞浆的染色与染液的pH值密切相关。当染色液pH值在胞浆蛋白质等电点 (4.7-5.0)以下时,胞浆蛋白质以碱式电离,则细胞浆带正电荷,就可被带负电荷的酸性染料染色。伊红在水中离解成带负电荷的阴离子,与胞浆蛋白质带正电荷的阳离子结合,使细胞浆着色,呈现红色。
3、分化作用:染色后,用某些特定的溶液将组织过多结合的染色剂脱去,这个过程称为分化作用,所用的溶液称为分化液。在HE染色中常用1%盐酸乙醇作为分化液,因酸能破坏苏木素的醌型结构,使组织与色素分离而退色。大多数组织经苏木素染色后,必须用1%盐酸乙醇分化,使细胞核过多结合的苏木素染料和细胞浆吸附的苏木素染料脱去,再进行伊红染色,才能保证细胞核与细胞浆染色的分明。
4、返蓝作用:分化之后,苏木素在酸性条件下处于红色离子状态,呈红色;在碱性条件下处于蓝色离子状态,呈蓝色。组织切片经酸性乙醇分化后呈红色或粉红色,立即用水除去组织切片上的酸而中止分化,再用弱碱性水使苏木素染上的细胞核呈现蓝色,这个过程称为返蓝作用或蓝化作用。另外用自来水浸洗也可使细胞核返蓝,但所需时间较长。
操作步骤(仅供参考):
1、根据实验具体需求操作和所染组织或者细胞适量染色。
2、无需盐酸乙醇分化,染色时间一般8-10min,退行性染色是需15-30min,进行性染色需8-15min,一般控制在10min即可。
注意事项:
1、切片脱蜡应尽量干净。
2、系列乙醇应经常更换新液。
3、冷冻切片染色时间尽量要短。
4、蓝化液常使用0.2-1%氨水或Scott促蓝液或0.1-1%碳酸锂溶液。
5、为了您的安全和健康,请穿实验服并戴一次性手套操作。
6、本产品仅供科研使用,严禁它用。
Hematoxylin and Eosin staining, commonly referred to as HE staining, is the most widely used staining method in pathology and histology. Hematoxylin is a basic natural dye that can stain cell nuclei. The main component of chromatin in the nucleus is DNA. In the double-helix structure of DNA, the phosphate groups on the two nucleotide chains face outward, making the outer side of the DNA double helix negatively charged and acidic. This acidic nature allows it to easily bind to the positively charged basic hematoxylin dye via ionic bonds or hydrogen bonds, thereby achieving staining.
Carazzi Hematoxylin Staining Solution is mainly composed of hematoxylin, potassium aluminum sulfate, etc. It belongs to a type of alum hematoxylin solution. This staining solution contains a small amount of hematoxylin and does not form an oxide film. It stains cell nuclei very clearly without coloring cytoplasm or fibrous components, and is classified as a progressive stain. It is particularly suitable for counterstaining cell nuclei after staining techniques such as enzyme histochemistry and immunohistochemistry, especially when acid treatment cannot be applied after special staining. In such cases, the staining time is relatively short (usually 8-10 minutes), and bluing can be performed immediately after staining without the need for differentiation.
Staining Principle
1. Principle of Cell Nucleus Staining: Hematoxylin is a basic natural dye capable of staining cell nuclei. The main component of chromatin in the nucleus is DNA. In the double-helix structure of DNA, the phosphate groups on the two nucleotide chains are oriented outward, rendering the outer surface of the DNA double helix negatively charged and acidic. This acidity enables easy binding to the positively charged basic hematoxylin dye through ionic bonds or hydrogen bonds, resulting in staining. Hematoxylin appears blue in an alkaline solution, so cell nuclei are stained blue.
2. Principle of Cytoplasm Staining: Eosin is a synthetic acidic dye that can stain cytoplasm under specific conditions. The main component of cytoplasm is protein, which is an amphoteric compound. The staining of cytoplasm is closely related to the pH value of the staining solution. When the pH value of the staining solution is below the isoelectric point (
4.7-5.0) of cytoplasmic proteins, the cytoplasmic proteins undergo basic ionization, making the cytoplasm positively charged. Consequently, the cytoplasm can be stained by the negatively charged acidic dye (eosin). Eosin dissociates in water into negatively charged anions, which bind to the positively charged cations of cytoplasmic proteins, staining the cytoplasm red.
3. Differentiation: After staining, the process of removing excess dye bound to tissues using specific solutions is called differentiation, and the solution used is known as a differentiating solution. In HE staining, 1% hydrochloric acid-ethanol is commonly used as the differentiating solution. Acids can disrupt the quinone structure of hematoxylin, causing the separation of tissue and pigment and thus decolorization. For most tissues stained with hematoxylin, differentiation with 1% hydrochloric acid-ethanol is essential to remove excess hematoxylin bound to cell nuclei and hematoxylin adsorbed by cytoplasm. Only after this step can Eosin staining be performed to ensure clear distinction between the colors of cell nuclei and cytoplasm.
4. Bluing (or Re-blushing): After differentiation, hematoxylin exists in a red ionic state under acidic conditions (appearing red) and in a blue ionic state under alkaline conditions (appearing blue). Tissue sections turn red or pink after differentiation with acidic ethanol. To stop the differentiation process, the acid on the tissue sections is immediately removed with water. Subsequently, weakly alkaline water is used to make the hematoxylin-stained cell nuclei appear blue. This process is called bluing or re-blushing. Additionally, rinsing with tap water can also achieve nuclear bluing, but it requires a longer time.
Operating Procedures (for Reference Only)
1. Adjust the staining operation and the amount of stain used according to the specific experimental requirements and the type of tissues or cells being stained.
2. Hydrochloric acid-ethanol differentiation is not required. The staining time is generally 8-10 minutes; for regressive staining, it takes 15-30 minutes, and for progressive staining, 8-15 minutes. Typically, controlling the time at 10 minutes is sufficient.
Precautions
1. Ensure that sections are thoroughly dewaxed.
2. Replace the series of ethanol solutions with fresh ones regularly.
3. Minimize the staining time for frozen sections as much as possible.
4. Common bluing solutions include 0.2-1% ammonia water, Scott’s bluing solution, or 0.1-1% lithium carbonate solution.
5. For your safety and health, wear a lab coat and disposable gloves during operation.
6. This product is for scientific research use only and must not be used for other purposes.