NPM for animal tissue

[MicroMan2]

Anyone has tried to nail polish on stained animal tissues eg.(retina, muscles, etc.) with the mountant. I need to find affordable clearing and mounting resources with shipping to Canada. Any suggestions of tip are useful, thanks.

[kinase]

You mean to seal the coverslip to the slide or as the actual mounting medium? I've used it to seal coverslips until I started using som hard setting mount.

[MicroMan2]

As the mountant it self

[billbillt]

...

[Raul]

I've been unsuccessful so far with Nail Polish, I tried to mount skeletal muscle stained with H&E but it cracked horribly after couple of days, or it made bubbles around, above and in the tissue when I tried to mount kidney samples. Best and most convenient is with Glycerol Jelly.

[Peter]

Hi MicroMan,
More canada balsam here http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/b1077.html than can be used in a lifetime. Some people look down on canada balsam these days but it's infinitely better than nail polish.
Hope this helps.
Peter.

[billben74]

Excuse me if I've got the wrong end of the stick here but perhaps you could use brunseal clear.

Here is a link to UK supplier (which I realise will not help you directly).

http://www.brunelmicroscopes.co.uk/stains.html

[billben74]

Apolgies now I've read the post I realise you meant as mountant

Can you get Numount? This is a canada balsam substitute.

[DaveH]

Anyone has tried to nail polish on stained animal tissues eg.(retina, muscles, etc.) with the mountant. I need to find affordable clearing and mounting resources with shipping to Canada. Any suggestions of tip are useful, thanks.

Hi I have had no luck with nail polish, I've tried it a few times and all the slides I made ended up in the bin.

For simple mounts by far my favourite is uv adhesive mount from alcohol, I have blood smears, pollen, onion skin all mounted in 2006 and holding up in perfect condition.

If you are looking for something simple and easy to obtain then maybe try gum arabic, found in art stores used in watercolour painting mount from water, needs ringing.

Damar varnish sold in art stores used in oil painting, often sold as double mastic varnish mount from white spirit or turpentine needs ringing for long term archiving.

Hop this is of some help.

Dave

[Raul]

MicroMan2 I solved it, I mounted cartilage tissue in Nail Polish and it did not crack, nor it formed bubbles.
Here's my protocol:
After the staining, dehydrate in 70% IPA 1min, 90% IPA 1 min, 100% IPA 1 min then add the Nail Polish (I used one that had IPA as a solvent in it so it mixed perfectly)
Here are some nice chondrocytes, stained with TBO, mounted yesterday in Nail Polish as described above.

[billbillt]

Yes, nail polish works well for me..
BillT

[billbillt]

Those turned out very well!...

BillT