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Relationship between the axial periodicity and staining of collagen by the Masson trichrome procedure

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Although wide variations in the axial periodicity of collagen fibrils in tissue sections have been reported previously, the comparative study presented in this paper of the axial periodicity and the Masson trichrome staining of collagen fibres from different tensional situations demonstrates that marked variations in collagen axial periodicity can be directly correlated with the tensional state of the tissues before fixation and with their Masson trichrome staining reaction.

Collagen fibres from tensional situations consistently exhibit a longer periodicity and retain the Acid Fuchsin component of the Masson trichrome procedure, whilst collagen fibres from non-tensional situations have a shorter periodicity, fail to retain the Acid Fuchsin component, and are coloured by the Light Green counterstain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    M. H. Flint & M. J. Merrilees

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  1. M. H. Flint
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  2. M. J. Merrilees
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Flint, M.H., Merrilees, M.J. Relationship between the axial periodicity and staining of collagen by the Masson trichrome procedure. Histochem J 9, 1–13 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01007005

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01007005

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