Oil Red O is excellent for the demonstration of general localization of fats in frozen tissue sections. Fat which may occur in an abnormal place such as fatty emboli that may develop after either a bone fracture or an injury that crushes a fatty bone area may be demonstrated using Oil Red O. Using this fat stain may support the diagnosis and verify that the emboli caused death. Additionally, degenerating material containing fat, such as cell membranes or myelin may coalesce into fat droplets that are demonstrable with a fat stain.  Oil Red O staining can also display tumors arising from fat cells allowing them to be differentiated from other types of tumors.¹

Staining with oil-soluble dyes is based on the greater solubility of the dye in the lipoid substances than the usual hydro alcoholic dye solvents. Polysciences’s realizes that the solvent is critical and therefore we were knowledgeable to select a solvent for our Oil Red O stain that will not extract any lipids. 

The 250 ml Oil Red O Staining Kit can stain up to 100 slides.