osmiumtetroxide enhancement of immunocytochem.

[Richard Kerr]

>?
>I have done immuno against parvalbumin in brain tissue and staining is present
>but weak.  I've read that one can use osmium tetooxide to enhance visualisation
>of the precipitate from the DAB reaction.  However, I need specific
>instructions about how to use the osmium to do this.  If you can help me out,
>post in the
>news group or email me at kopl   that is kopello at eden.rutgers.edu.

hi Michael,   I can't provide the method but I thought you could do with
some OH & S stuff. Osmium tetroxide is mega- dangerous. It is both a strong
poison &  mutagenic. When I used it for routine e/m procedures, I double
gloved & wore safety glasses & only used the stuff in the fumehood.
see if you can get around your DAB enhancement problem perhaps by
co-incubating with  chloro-napthol  or any other of the pptable enzyme
substrates. Pierce have an extensive range of these on offer at fairly good
prices with a guide to their relative sensitivities .

good luck & I hope you don't have to resort to OsO4
RICHARD