Microwave irradiated canine and feline tissues: Part 2. Immunohistochemical and histochemical staining

A variety of canine and feline tissues were collected during routine necrop sy examination and microwave irradiated in one of the following solutions: physiologic buffered saline (PBS), a 50/50 mix of PBS and ethanol, or Klotz solution. A duplicate set of tissues from each animal collected in 10% neu tral buffered formalin served as a control. Tissues were routinely processe d and stained with a variety of monoclonal or polyclonal commercially avail able antibodies or commonly used histochemical stains. Comparisons of the s taining properties and the potential for increased antigen expression in mi crowave irradiated tissues were made for each tissue examined. The staining intensity of anti-CD3; anti-myeloid / histiocyte MAC387; anti-neuron speci fic enolase; anti-smooth muscle actin; anti-synaptophysin; or anti-cytokera tin applied to all microwave irradiated canine tissues was similar to the s taining of formalin fixed control tissues. Anti-CD79a and anti-laminin appl ied to canine tissues microwave irradiated in PBS or Klotz solution, respec tively, resulted in greater staining intensity than in the formalin fixed c ontrols. In all cases tested, there was minimal to no reduction in the stai ning intensity of histochemical stains applied to the microwave irradiated canine and feline tissues.