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Fungal Contamination of Plastined Specimen
Author(s) -
Barros Mirna,
Navarini Alessandra,
Masuko Telma Sumie
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.547.12
Subject(s) - contamination , fixation (population genetics) , autolysis (biology) , fungal growth , silicone , materials science , biology , chemistry , food science , microbiology and biotechnology , composite material , ecology , biochemistry , gene , enzyme
Plastination is a unique technique of tissue preservation developed by Gunther von Hagens in 1978. In this process, water and lipids in biological tissues are replaced by curable polymers (silicone, epoxy) which are subsequently hardened, resulting in dry, odorless and durable specimens. The advantages of use plastinated specimens are they can be conveniently stored, the tissues are safe to handle, toxic fixatives are eliminated, they are durable, having a much longer shelf life. This study aimed to demonstrate fungal contamination of a plastined kidney. Material and method On the surface of a plastined kidney divided in two parts, we observe a thin layer of a white substance, which is presented into more or less dense portions. Six samples of that substance from different places were collected, inoculated in Sabouraud‐agar and incubated at room temperature. The samples were checked dailly for the presence of fungi. Results We observed the growth of fungi in one sample on the eighth day after inoculation and the fungus was identified as Penicillium sp. Conclusion The foundation of all good tissue specimen preparations is complete fixation. The primary function of tissue fixation is to prevent putrefaction and autolysis. Probably, the fixation of the specimen was not completed and during storage, the fungal contamination occurred. We can not rule out the possibility of contamination of solutions used in the process of fixing and plastination specimen.