Jones' stain

Jones' stain is a method used in histology and pathology to visualize certain structures in tissues. It is particularly useful for highlighting basement membranes, renal glomeruli, and reticular fibers. The stain is named after Clifford Jones, a British pathologist who developed the technique.

Method

The Jones' stain method involves several steps. First, the tissue sample is fixed, usually in formalin. It is then dehydrated in a series of alcohol solutions, cleared in xylene, and embedded in paraffin wax. The wax block is cut into thin sections, which are mounted on slides.

The slides are then stained using the Jones' method. This involves several steps:

1. The slide is immersed in methenamine silver solution, which stains the basement membranes black.
2. The slide is rinsed in distilled water.
3. The slide is treated with a solution of chromic acid and sodium bisulfite, which bleaches the tissue.
4. The slide is rinsed again in distilled water.
5. The slide is counterstained with eosin, which stains the cytoplasm pink.

The result is a slide in which the basement membranes and glomeruli are clearly visible against a light background.

Applications

Jones' stain is used in the diagnosis of various diseases. It is particularly useful in the diagnosis of kidney diseases, as it highlights the glomeruli, which are often affected in these conditions. It can also be used to visualize reticular fibers in tissues, which can be useful in the diagnosis of certain cancers.

See also

• Histology
• Pathology
• Staining (biology)

References

Jones' stain Resources
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