Phosphotungstic acid-haematoxylin stain

It is used to show gliosis in the central nervous system, tumours of skeletal muscles, and fibrin deposits in lesions.

Muscle is stained blue-black to dark brown, connective tissue is pale orange-pink to brownish red, fibrin and neuroglia stain deep blue, coarse elastic fibers show as purple, and bone and cartilage obtain yellowish to brownish red color.

This lake stains the muscle cross striations, fibrin, nuclei, and other tissue elements blue.

Most texts recommend mordanting in Zenker fixative overnight at room temperature, but it can be done for 3.5 hours in a 56 to 60 degrees Celsius oven.

[2] After staining, slides should be dehydrated quickly because the red-brown components lose their color when exposed to water or alcohol.