Histo-Chem, Inc., was founded in 1997 with the purpose of developing, synthesizing and marketing unique fluorescent or metallic histochemical tracers for localizing specific anatomical or pathological structures in brain tissue sections. Early products include the retrograde and anterograde fluorescent axonal tract tracers, respectively, Fluoro-Gold and Fluoro-Ruby. The next major product was Black-Gold II, a gold-based brightfield stain that can be used for the high resolution and contrast staining of both large bundles and fine individual myelinated fibers. It has been used to localize both normal myelination as well as myelin pathologies. The next major set of tracers offered was Fluoro-Jade B and Fluoro-Jade C. Both were designed to fluorescently label all neurons, and their processes, that were undergoing irreversible degeneration, regardless of the underlying cause. They also can label hypertrophied astrocytes adjacent to degenerating neurons and amyloid plaques, when present.

The next major group of tracers developed by Histo-Chem were designed to localize pathologies associated with Alzheimer’s disease including extracellular amyloid plaques and intraneuronal fibulary tangles. The first of these compounds was Amylo-Glo, which is marketed as a concentrated solution. It has been used to stain both amyloid plaques in APP/PS1 mice as well as plaques and NFTs in human tissue sections. Euro-Glo, a metallic and fluorescent Europium chelate, will also stain amyloid plaques as well as myelinated fibers. The staining pattern of the plaques differed from the more fibular appearance seen with more conventional probes including Amylo-Glo. HQ-O was the most recently developed fluorescent tracer which is thought to label amyloid plaques by virtue of forming a highly fluorescent chelate with zinc bound to the plaques. This tracer will label both parenchymal and vascular plaques in both mouse and human brain tissue.

In addition to developing and marketing the unique aforementioned histochemical tracers, Histo-Chem also sells kits that contain all of the reagents, typically at 10X concentration, needed for a particular stain. Also, research continues on the development of novel tracers, the most recent being Amylo-Glo II, which is an Amylo-Glo derivative that can be used as a dry powder, as opposed to a concentrated solution (please see New & Future Dyes page).

Recently Histo-Chem began offering a histology processing service whereby researchers can send in brain tissue to have it sectioned, processed and stained with any of the aforementioned probes. Imaging of the tissue is also available. Either serial or sequential tissue sections can be generated using one or multiple stains. Please contact us concerning questions or to request a price quote.

Histo-Chem is also sponsoring basic research studies on the mechanisms underlying the generation of the pathologies associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

As conceptual revolutions often follow technical innovations, we are committed to providing the brain researcher with the most innovative, specific, sensitive and reliable neurohistochemical tracers. Since no technique is stronger than its application, we value input from our customers, whether it be requesting technical help with an ongoing project, or to inquire about the development of a novel tracer to address a specific research question.

MORE INFO: histochem@centurytel.net
FOUNDED: 1997
ADDRESS: Histo-Chem, Inc.
P.O. Box 183
Jefferson, Arkansas 72079 USA