Improved staining method for determining the extent of thermal damage to cells

Background and Objective: Enzyme histochemical stains of frozen sections have been used by investigators to assess thermal damage. The assessment of thermal damage to cells in lipid-rich tissues such as subcutaneous tissue and sebaceous glands can be difficult due to the quality of frozen sections of such tissues. The purpose of this study is to develop an improved method for this type of evaluation. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Thick frozen sections of thermally damaged pig and human skin were stained for lactate dehydrogenase. The sections were fixed in formalin and processed for paraffin-embedded sections. Results: The sections showed well-defined localization of the enzymatic deposits as well as preservation of the tissue architecture. Conclusion: The paraffin-embedded lactate dehydrogenase stained sections provide improved evaluation of thermally damaged tissues, particularly the lipid rich tissues.