Comparison of three special staining methods for collagen fibers in evaluation of intrauterine adhesion / 中国比较医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare Masson staining,van Gieson staining,and Sirius red staining for evaluation of an intrauterine adhesion(IUA)model in rats. Methods In total,24 female adult Sprague-Dawley rats were selected and bilateral uteri exposed. To establish an IUA rat model, the left uterus was cut and the endometrium scraped using a scalpel. The right uterus was used as a control. Fourteen days after surgery, all uteri were collected for histological evaluation of IUA by hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining,Masson staining,van Gieson staining,and Sirius red staining. Results HE staining showed that the endometrial epithelial layer of the uterus was absent, with a smaller number of endometrial glands than the control uterus(P < 0.01). Collagen fibers were clearly visible using all special staining method. The fibrotic area rate of uteri by Masson staining(using toluidine blue)was higher than Masson staining(using light green),van Gieson staining,and Sirius red staining(P< 0.01). Under polarized light,type I and type III collagen fibers were clearly distinguished by Sirius red staining,but not using Masson and van Gieson staining. Conclusions Sirius red staining is a superior method than Masson and van Gieson staining for evaluation of fibrosis in IUA and can also differentiate collagen fiber types.