Comparison of Automated and Manual Staining Techniques for the Binding of Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) Modified B5- and Formalin-Fixed Pulmonary Tissue

Abstract

An automated method for lectin staining using the Fisher Code-On™ series, with a modification of its general program, “Immunocode,” is described. The lectin wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) was used for staining procedures. Comparisons were made between the lectin staining quality of formalin- vs modified B5-fixed lung tissue, using manual and automated staining techniques. Although automated and manual methods for lectin staining were comparable, the results obtained by automated staining were highly reproducible and less subject to inconsistencies due to human error. Automated staining also decreased consumption of costly reagents and saved laboratory personnel time (~3.0 hr, automated vs 4.8 hr, manually). The intensity and discreteness of WGA staining was superior in the modified B5- vs formalin-fixed lung tissues with both automated and manual staining methods. (The J Histotechnol 14:149, 1991)

Keywords:

• automated lectin staining
• lung
• mouse
• WGA