What is a commonly used cleaning agent in tissue processing?

The commonly used cleaning agent in tissue processing is 70% ethanol. Ethanol is widely utilized in the histopathology laboratory for several reasons. It serves as a dehydrating agent during the tissue processing procedure, allowing the replacement of water in the tissue with ethanol. The 70% concentration is particularly effective as it strikes a balance between adequate dehydration and maintaining tissue morphology, preventing excessive shrinkage that could occur with higher concentrations.

Sodium hypochlorite is often used as a disinfectant rather than as a cleaning agent in tissue processing. While it can effectively kill bacteria and decontaminate surfaces, it is not typically used during the preparation of tissue samples for histopathological examination.

Formol-saline, which consists of formaldehyde in saline, is primarily a fixative and is used to preserve tissue morphology rather than clean it. This makes it unsuitable as a cleaning agent in the tissue processing workflow.

Absolute alcohol serves as a dehydrating agent as well but is generally used later in the processing steps after tissues have been fixed and prepared. Using absolute alcohol can sometimes lead to over-dehydration, which can compromise tissue integrity.

Thus, 70% ethanol stands out as the most appropriate and commonly used agent for cleaning tissues during processing