NOTES ON THE APPLICATION OF MICROWAVES FOR ANTIGEN RETRIEVAL IN PARAFFIN AND PLASTIC TISSUE-SECTIONS

In formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue enhanced or de novo immuno staining can be obtained by microwave boiling of sections in a metal s alt or buffer solution. In this paper this new technique is reviewed a nd important factors influencing final results are discussed. Microwav e antigen retrieval can also be applied for immunohistochemistry on pl astic GMA sections. Here the action of the microwave method is probabl y mainly due to breaking the bonds between GMA and proteins prohibitin g immunostaining. The microwave methods do not require trypsin treatme nt.