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The Most Common Histology Stains and What They Reveal
- Eghosa Arovo
- Jun 24
- 2 min read
Unlock the secrets in your tissue! Discover which histology stains—from H&E to Sirius Red—reveal your samples’ hidden details.
Introduction
Histological stains are the foundation of tissue-based research, transforming nearly transparent sections into vivid maps of cellular and extracellular structures. While hundreds of specialised dyes exist, a handful of “workhorse” stains recur in labs worldwide—revealing everything from basic tissue architecture to specific biochemical components. In this post, we’ll explore the most frequently used stains, what they highlight, and how you can leverage them in your cancer, developmental or tissue-engineering studies.
1. Haematoxylin & Eosin (H&E)
What it shows:
Haematoxylin stains nuclei deep blue–purple by binding to DNA/RNA.
Eosin counter-stains cytoplasm, extracellular matrix and muscle fibers pink to red.
Applications:
General morphology and tissue architecture
Nuclei-to-cytoplasm ratios for grading malignancies
Identifying necrosis, inflammation and basic tumour boundaries
2. Periodic Acid–Schiff (PAS)
What it shows:
Detects carbohydrates (glycogen, mucins, basement membranes) as magenta
Often paired with a diastase digest (DPAS) to distinguish glycogen from other PAS-positive substances
Applications:
Visualising mucinous tumours or goblet cells
Highlighting basement membrane integrity in invasion assays
Assessing glycogen storage in metabolic or liver studies
3. Masson’s Trichrome
What it shows:
Collagen: blue or green
Muscle & cytoplasm: red
Nuclei: black
Applications:
Quantifying fibrosis and extracellular matrix deposition in tumours and organs
Delineating muscle invasion in soft-tissue and gastrointestinal cancers
Assessing tissue-engineered graft integration
4. Sirius Red
What it shows:
Binds collagen types I & III; exhibits birefringence (red/orange vs. green) under polarized light
Applications:
Precise measurement of fibrotic area
Studying stromal remodeling in tumour microenvironments
Evaluating anti-fibrotic therapies
5. Perls’ Prussian Blue
What it shows:
Ferric iron deposits (hemosiderin, ferritin) appear bright blue
Applications:
Detecting iron overload or hemorrhage in tumor models
Characterising macrophage-associated iron in TME studies
Monitoring iron-based nanoparticle distribution
6. Reticulin (Gomori’s Silver)
What it shows:
Type III collagen (reticular fibers) as black filigree networks
Applications:
Grading hematologic malignancies (e.g. myelofibrosis)
Mapping early stromal scaffolding in organoids and tissue constructs
Evaluating tumour vascular architecture
7. Elastic Van Gieson (EVG)
What it shows:
Elastic fibers: black
Collagen: red
Other tissue (cytoplasm, red blood cells): yellow
Applications:
Studying vascular remodeling and angiogenesis in cancer
Assessing elastic‐fiber integrity in engineered blood vessels
Investigating soft-tissue biomechanics
8. Oil Red O (Frozen Sections)
What it shows:
Neutral lipids (triglycerides, cholesterol esters) as red droplets
Applications:
Visualising lipid-laden tumour cells or fatty infiltrates
Characterising adipogenesis in stem-cell–derived organoids
Assessing metabolic changes in cancer cachexia
Putting It All Together
Combine stains for multiplex insights: Overlay H&E with IHC or special stains to correlate morphology with molecular markers.
Quantitative image analysis: Use digital slide scanners and software to measure stain-positive areas, fiber thickness, cell counts or optical densities.
Choose protocols wisely: Match fixation, embedding and section thickness to your chosen stains to ensure crisp, reproducible results.
Why LabNexus?
At LabNexus, our comprehensive stain menu—from H&E and PAS to Sirius Red and EVG—is fully validated for research use. With custom embedding, flexible sectioning and high-resolution scanning, we help you convert your samples into publishable data—without investing in in-house facilities.
Ready to reveal new insights in your tissue research?
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