Aim: The aim of the study was to find a suitable less toxic alternative to xylene in the paraffin wax method of tissue processing.

Methods: Twenty albino rats were randomized into two groups of ten animals each. One group was fed with normal diet while the second group received in addition to the normal diet, 20mg/kg of omeprazole for 7days. They all had water freely. The second group was given 2ml ethanol to induce gastric mucosa injury, and sacrificed two hours later. One group of the tissues were processed by the paraffin wax technique while the second group was processed with replacement of xylene with isopropyl alcohol. Sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin and examined. Results: There was no difference between the xylene treated routine paraffin wax method and the isopropanol replacement method in the sectioning, staining and diagnosis of the tissues of stomach, liver and kidney. The isopropanol method was also faster.

Conclusion: xylene in the paraffin wax method should be replaced with a less hazardous isopropanol.

 

Key words: Isopropanol alcohol, Omeprazole, Tissue processing, Xylene