Question

Explain the procedure for histochemical detection of glycogen.

Answer 1

Procedure

Deparaffinize the section(s) and hydrate with distilled water

Microwave for about 30 seconds and allow the specimen to stand in the working solution for about 5 minutes in the fume hood. The section can be treated with the working solution (acid ferrocyanide) for between 10 and 30 minutes.

Rinse/wash the section using distilled water

Stain (lightly) the section with 0.5% aqueous neutral red or 0.1% nuclear fast red. This part of the procedure is used to stain the nuclei.

Rapidly wash the section using distilled water

Dehydrate the section, clear and mount on the microscope stage for viewing

When viewed under the microscope, blue parts are indicative of iron while the red and pink parts indicate the nuclei and background respectively.

Answer 2

Glycogen, a branched polymer of glucose, functions as an energy reserve in many living organisms. ... Microscopic visualization of glycogen deposits in cells and tissues is important for the study of normal glycogen metabolism as well as diagnosis of GSDs.