International Journal of Health Sciences and Research www.ijhsr.org ISSN: 2249-9571

Original Research Article

A Cost Effective Mounting Medium QAA Mountant

Roopa Ravindranath1, Yogitha Ravindranath2*, R Victor 3, V Sumithra4

1Professor, 2 Associate professor, 3Consultant cytogenetics, 4 Senior lab Technician 1, 2, 4Histology laboratory, Department of Anatomy, St John’s Medical College, Bangalore. 3S-DACC, Shreyas Diagnostic, Andrology & Cytogenetics Centre, Bangalore.

*Correspondence Email: [email protected]

Received: 24/05//2013 Revised: 12/07/2013 Accepted: 23/07/2013

ABSTRACT

Use of Quickfix, a resinous product easily available in the market for cementing glassware, plastic, Bakelite etc., was used with amylacetate as a solvent for preparation of mounting medium. Three parts of Quickfix and 2 parts of amylacetate were mixed thoroughly with a glass rod. Amylacetate was added slowly to Quickfix. After mixing, the medium was left standing to eliminate air bubbles. Stained paraffin sections were cleared in amylacetate, covered with a sufficient quantity of the medium and mounted with a cover slip, before drying could occur. Sections were kept in the oven to dry for few hours at 37o C. QAA (Quickfix-amyl acetate) has been identified as a cost effective, reliable alternative mountant. Key Words: Quick fix, Amyl acetate, Mounting medium

INTRODUCTION to combat air bubbles formed, however they Numerous experiments have been tend to retard to non stickiness by addition made with resins and plastics in search of a of plasticizer. (2) more acceptable mounting medium. Quickfix adhesive resinous product Mounting media which have a refractive easily available has been in use in histology index similar to that of glass slides (1.5 - as a mountant for quite some time. (3-5) 1.52) are generally used to match that of the Amylacetate is an isomer used as solvent in tissue components for maximum many pharmaceutical industries. transparency. (1) Considering the availability and cost Synthetic resins are quite neutral effectiveness of the products the present such that the basic aniline dyes are well study was carried to prove that the QAA- preserved in them. The resins differ qucikfix-amyl acetate is an alternate importantly in refractive index, rate of mounting medium that can be used for setting, drying to a non adhesive state degree routine histology slide preparation of residual unsaturation, solubility in solvents, viscosity of solutions, rate of MATERIALS & METHODS drying and in tendency to form air bubbles Quickfix – 3 parts in mounts. Invariably plasticizers are added Amylacetate – 2 parts

International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 58 Vol.3; Issue: 7; July 2013

Amylacetate was added slowly to quickfix slip. Sections were kept in the oven at 37o C and mixed with a glass rod. After mixing, for few hours to dry. the medium was left standing to eliminate air bubbles. Stained paraffin sections were RESULTS cleared in Amyl acetate and before drying a Our results showed no difference between sufficient quantity of the medium was the conventional mounting method and the placed on the slide and covered with a cover QAA mounted slides (figures 1 -4).

DISCUSSION amylacetate. Iso amylacetate is a clear The resinous product of Quickfix is colourless liquid with a sharp fruity odour. adhesive cement, easily available in the Weight per ml is about 0.87g, with the market for cementing glassware, plastics, boiling point about 140o, slightly soluble in bakelite etc. Quickfix is manufactured by water, miscible with alcohol and ether. It is Wembley Laboratories Limited Kathua stored in air tight containers. Amyl acetate is (J&K). Its physical properties are not used as a pharmaceutical and industrial affected by water, weather and heat. solvent. (6) The organic solvent of amylacetate It is an ester with the chemical which is used to dissolve the resin is a formula CH3 COO (CH2)4 CH3 and the mixture of isomers, principally iso -sec & n molecular weight is 130.19g/mol. The

International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 59 Vol.3; Issue: 7; July 2013 compound is the condensation product of Saunders Company. London: Acetic acid and 1-pentanol. However esters 1960.p.153. formed from other pentanol isomers, Amyl 2. R.D.Lillie and Herold M Fullner; alcohols or mixtures of pentanols Histopathological technique and are often referred to as Amyl acetate. (7) practical histochemistry. McGraw Present study has fulfilled the Hill Book Company: 1976. p.114. requirement of an alternate mounting media 3. R Victor, S. Janakiram, S Kamath, which can be used routinely. Components - IM Thomas.1988. QM mountant - A quickfix and amylacetate are easily new mounting medium. The journal available, cheaper and cost effective of Audiovisual Media in Medicine. mounting materials. QAA mounted slides Vol 11(3):107. can be used for routine as well as special 4. R Victor, S Janakiram, K.C stained sections without any hindrance. It is Chinnamma, S Kamath. 1988. highly compatible with photomicrography as Plastic mounting histological demonstrated in the figures (1, 2, 3 and 4). sections for teaching and display. Chromosome spreads and sperm The Clinicians. 52 (6):162-164. smears were also mounted using this 5. R Victor, S Janakiram, V medium. Slides mounted with this medium Balasubramanyam, I.M Thomas. were stored in slide boxes for a period of 1993. Broken slides-A salvaging more than one year and observed from time technique for sections. Journal of to time, no fading or deterioration was Anatomical Society of India 42 (2): noticed in these slides mounted with QAA. 149-150. 6. Sean C Sweetman, Will Encloses. CONCLUSION 2005. Martindale: The complete A cost effective mounting medium Drug reference. Suffolk has been reported. The materials are easily Pharmaceutical press Great Britain available and it is easy to prepare in the p.1471. laboratory. The novel mountant QAA 7. NIOSH.1992. Occupational safety produces greater clarity and appears to be and health guidelines for n-amyl ideal for photomicrography. acetate. US department of Health and Human services, public health REFERENCES service, centres for disease control, 1. Davenport Harold A; Histological National Institute for occupational and histochemical techniques. WB safety and health, DHHS. P 1-7.

How to cite this article: Ravindranath R, Ravindranath Y, Victor R et. al. A cost effective mounting medium QAA mountant. Int J Health Sci Res. 2013;3(7):58-60.

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International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 60 Vol.3; Issue: 7; July 2013