Alcoholic Z-Fix Concentrate - 1 Gallon

Formaldehyde fixation is a two-step process. First, formaldehyde forms addition products with macromolecules. Second, the formaldehyde adduct crosslinks the macromolecules, firming the tissue. While necessary for complete fixation, the crosslinks (methylene bridges) can block access to antigenic epitopes. With Alcoholic Z-Fix, both the zinc and formalin initially attach to tissue sites. Additional zinc ions then form large coordination complexes that prevent the formaldehyde from further crosslinking by simply getting in the way. The zinc constituent of Alcoholic Z-Fix gives cellular components enough rigidity without undesirable hardening. The 70% alcohol component of Alcoholic Z-Fix increases the penetration rate of the fixative and starts the dehydration process without excessive drying. Alcoholic Z-Fix prevents the formalin artifact described as nuclear bubbling, in which chromatin patterns are disrupted due to inadequate exposure to formalin. Enhanced H&E staining due to the mordant effect of the zinc is another Alcoholic Z-Fix benefit. With fewer methylene bridges, Alcoholic Z-Fix reduces or eliminates the need for antigen recovery procedures in immunohistochemistry.