Luxol Fast Blue
For the Staining of the Myelin Sheath
Author: Kelsey Goldman, HTL (ASCP)
Last Update: 6 January 2025
Copyright: 2025, HistologyOutlines.com
Cite this Page! -> Goldman, Kelsey. “Luxol Fast Blue.” HistologyOutlines.Com, 8 Aug 2024. Accessed (today).
Purpose
- Luxol fast blue is used for the detection of the myelin sheath (Carson, 2001)
- The absence of Luxol Fast Blue staining in an expected area would indicate damage to the axon of the nerve (Carson, 2001)
- Luxol Fast Blue an be combined with the cresyl violet stain to demonstrate both myelin and neurons. (Tubbs, 2015)
Control Tissues
- Cerebral Cortex, Peripheral Nerve Tissue, Spinal Cord
Staining Pattern
Myelin- Blue
Other- No Color
Biochemistry Theory
- Luxol Fast Blue is often combined with Echt Violet (Nissl substance) or Homles silver nitrate ( nerve fibers)
- The nerve is insulated in the myelin sheath, which is composed of lipoproteins. Luxol Fast Blue is a cationic (basic) dye that binds to the negatively charged components of the lipoproteins in the myelin sheath through ionic interactions, enabling visualization of myelinated regions (Tubbs, 2015)
Troubleshooting
- Tissues to be stained with Luxol Fast Blue should have been fixed in 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin and processed with a standard FFPE protocol (Carson, 2001)
- A thick cut section is recommended (10-15 um) (Carson, 2001)
- Luxol Fast Blue is alcohol soluble, use caution when dehydrating (Carson, 2001)
Additional References
- Carson, F. L. (2001). Histotechnology: a self-instructional text (2. ed., [Reprint]). ASCP Press.
- Tubbs, R. S. (Ed.). (2015). Nerves and nerve injuries. Elsevier/AP, Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier.
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