Histochemical Stains

Histochemical stains are essential techniques used to visualize tissue and cell structures. Living or fixed cells have very little inherent color and only small differences in the refractive indices of their component parts. By staining tissue sections, scientists and pathologists can observe tissue morphology (structure) or identify the presence or prevalence of particular cell types, structures, or even micro-organisms under a microscope.

Histochemical stains include routine H&E stain and special stains. Routine staining primarily refers to the hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain, while special staining covers a wide range of methods and techniques used to visualize specific tissue structures, elements, or even micro-organisms not identified by H&E staining.

At VitroVivo, we provide over 36 commonly used histochemical stain kits for routine and special staining applications. For more information, please click on each product kit below.

Guidance on Choice of VitroView™ Histochemical Stain Kits

Product Name	SKU#	Visualization For
Hematoxylin and Eosin Stain Kit	VB-3000	General morphology of tissues and cells
Mammary Gland Whole Mount Stain Kit	VB-3001	Structure of the whole mouse mammary glands
Alcian Blue Hematoxylin-Orange G Stain Kit	VB-3002	Cartilage, mature bone and immature bones
Alcian Blue Stain Kit	VB-3003	Tissue mucosubstances
PAS Stain Kit	VB-3004	Glycogen, mucin and fungi
Alcian Blue – PAS Stain Kit	VB-3005	Both acidic and neutral mucins as well as mixtures of acidic and neutral mucins
Luxol Fast Blue Stain Kit	VB-3006	Basic neuronal structure in brain or spinal cord tissues
Oil Red O Stain Kit	VB-3007	Lipid and fat staining on frozen sections
Alizarin Red Stain Kit	VB-3008	Calcium on tissue sections
Prussian Blue Stain Kit	VB-3009	Ferric iron in tissue sections
Nissl Stain Kit	VB-3010	Nissl body in the cytoplasm of neurons
Congo Red Amyloid Stain Kit	VB-3011	Amyloid deposits
Sudan Black B Lipid Stain Kit	VB-3012	Lipid and fat staining on frozen sections
Toluidine Blue Stain Kit	VB-3013	Mast cells
Modified Gomori’s Trichrome Stain Kit	VB-3014	Connective fibers
Bielschowsky’s Silver Stain Kit	VB-3015	Nerve fibers, neurites and neurofibrillary tangles
Masson’s Trichrome Stain Kit	VB-3016	Collagen and muscle
Picro-Sirius Red Stain Kit	VB-3017	Collagen fibers
Reticulum Stain Kit	VB-3018	Reticular fibers
Verhoeff Van Gieson Elastin Stain Kit	VB-3019	Elastic fibers
Fontana-Masson Stain Kit	VB-3020	Argentaffin granules and melanin
Rhodanine Copper Stain Kit	VB-3021	Copper deposits
COX/SDH Double Histochemistrical Stain Kit	VB-3022	Detection of mitochondrial function
Movat Pentachrome Stain Kit	VB-3023	Collagen, muscle tissue, reticular fibers, mucins and fibrin
Southgate’s Mucicarmine Stain Kit	VB-3024	Mucin
Jones Stain Kit	VB-3026	Basement membrane
Colloidal Iron Stain Kit	VB-3027	Carboxylated and sulfated mucopolysaccharides and glycoprotein
Safranin O Stain kit	VB-3028	Cartilage
NADH-TR Histochemistry Stain Kit	VB-3029	Patterns of myofiber injury characteristic of congenital and mitochondrial myopathies, & specific muscular dystrophies.
Metachromatic Myofibrillar ATPase Stain Kit	VB-3030	Identify different types of muscle fibers based on their ATPase activity
Periodic Acid Silver Methenamin Stain Kit	VB-3033	Renal glomerular basement membranes
Verhoeff Elastic Masson Trichrome Stain Kit	VB-3034	Elastic fibers of all sizes, nuclei and connective tissue
Thioflavin S Stain Kit	VB-3035	Neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques, or amyloids
Martius Scarlet Blue (MSB) Stain Kit	VB-3036	Fibrin, muscle, collagen, and erythrocytes.