Good Practices for Histological Analysis of the Annual Killifish Nothobranchius furzeri (Nothobranchiidae)

Abstract

Paraffin histology is one of the most important and commonly used laboratory techniques enabling the study of the microscopic structure of animal and plant tissues. This technique uses paraffin wax, which in liquid form impregnates fixed and dehydrated tissues and allows the preparation of thin sections when solidified in blocks. This protocol on good practices in paraffin histology of Nothobranchius furzeri (Nothobranchiidae) summarizes the authors’ current experience in terms of technique, evaluation, and interpretation of sectioned tissues. The steps that precede paraffin block preparation are also presented as they play a key role in maximizing the quality of examined sections. The paraffin technique as described only requires basic laboratory conditions to produce good-quality results. The description of staining methods is limited to Mayer's hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), the routinely used histological dye staining cell nuclei in blue–black (hematein) and cell cytoplasm and connective tissue fibers in shades of pink–red (eosin). Killifish specialists are encouraged to engage in the study of histology and histopathology, taking advantage of interdisciplinary cooperation.