Label ‐free Raman spectroscopic imaging to extract morphological and chemical information from a formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded rat colon tissue section

In this study, we provide an extensive characterization of the biochemical signals remaining in processed samples (formalin fixation and paraffin embedding, FFPE) and especially those originating from the anatomical layers of a healthy rat colon. The application of chemometric analytical methods (unsupervised and supervised) was shown to eliminate the need for tissue staining and easily revealed microscopic features consistent with goblet cells and the dense populations of cells within the mucosa, principally via strong nucleic acid signals. We were also able to identify the collagenous submucosa‐ and serosa‐ as well as the muscle‐associated signals from the muscular regions and blood vessels. Applying linear regression analysis to the data, we were able to corroborate this initial assignment of cell and tissue types by confirming the biological origin of each layer by reference to a subset of authentic biomolecular standards. Our results demonstrate the potential of using label‐free Raman microspectroscopy to obtain superior imaging contrast in FFPE sections when compared directly to conventional haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining.

Source: International Journal of Experimental Pathology - May 31, 2016 Category: Pathology Authors: Riana Gaifulina, Andrew Thomas Maher, Catherine Kendall, James Nelson, Manuel Rodriguez ‐Justo, Katherine Lau, Geraint Mark Thomas Tags: Original Article Source Type: research