Dear Rebecca,
                           You could use a Luxol Fast Blue - Oil Red O
Technique  . However this is done Frozen sections of formalin fixed tissue
on 15-20mu sections .You then rinse in water  then 50% alcohol then
70%.Place in Luxol fast blue (0.1g in 100cm 95%alc plus 0.5cm 10% acetic
acid ) room temp. for 3 hours.Rinse in 70% alc then 50% alc and then
distilled water 30 secs.Differentiate in 0.005% lithium carbonate(aq)  no
more than 20 secs.Continue differentiation in 70%alc untill grey and white
matter are distinguished ( 30secs-1minute) . Rinse in distilled water and
perform Lillie and Ashburn's Oil Red O technique.
Saturated solution Oil Red O (0.25-0.5%) in Isopropyl Alc (stock
Solution).For use take 6cm stock and 4cm distilled water  ,allow to stand
for 5-10 minutes then filter.Solution keeps for 1-2 hours.
Place section in Fat stain for 10 - 15 minutes . differentiate in 605 alc to
clear background.
rinse in water.Float sections onto slides  and mount  in aqueous mounting
media.
Normal Myelin -Blue/Green
Degenerate Myelin - Red.

You could also try a Modification of the Marchi technique which takes
between 7 and 10 days  called the Swank - Davenport Method
Uses following solution :
1% potassium Chlorate              60cm
1% Osmium tetroxide                  20cm
Formaldehyde 40%                      12cm
Glacial Acetic acid                       1cm
Place formalin fixed tissue in solution for 7-10 days ,rinse in running
water overnight .Process to paraffin/celloidin,
cut sections 20-30mu.
Degenerate Myelin  -   Black
Neutral Fats            -     Black

Hope this is of help
Ian Clarke
Histopathology/Cytopathology Dept
Craigavon Area Hospital NHS Trust
UK
Ref: Culling Handbook of Histopathological Techniques.

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-----Original Message-----
From: Rebecca S Smith <bssvpisu@iastate.edu>
To: HistoNet Server <histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
Date: 22 June 2000 17:24
Subject: myelin degeneration


>Hey there Histonetters!  I've got a pathologist that wants to demonstrate
>Degenerated Myelin.  Not lack of myelin, but the actual
>degeneration.  Through my searching I found the "Marchi" stain for the
>demonstration of Degenerated Myelin.  It takes 14 days.  She would like to
>know if there is
>#1 - A newer, better technique?
>#2 - A stain that will get done sometime in this month?
>#3 - A microwave procedure to speed this (Marchi) stain up?
>#4 - Any news on demonstrating this type of syndrome?
>
>Thanks!
>
>
>