Dear Yi,

The Picro-Sirius Red Stain Kit (Connective Tissue Stain) is intended for use in the histological visualization of collagen I and III fibers in addition to muscle in tissue sections. The PSR stain may be viewed using standard light microscopy or polarized light resulting in birefringence of the collagen fibers to distinguish between type I and type III.

http://www.abcam.com/picro-sirius-red-stain-kit-connective-tissue-stain-ab150681.html

Hoping this will be helpful,

Rafik

Dear Rafik, thank you for your comment. It is helpful.

http://stainsfile.info/StainsFile/stain/conektv/puchtler_psr.htm

but most interesting perhaps:  

RICH & WHITTAKER, 2005:

COLLAGEN AND PICROSIRIUS RED STAINING: A POLARIZED LIGHT ASSESSMENT  OF FIBRILLAR HUE AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION  

"Our goal was, using picrosirius red staining, circularly polarized light, and image-analysis software,

not only to identify fibers and quantify collagen content, but also to assess fiber hue and the spatial distribution  of the different colors.", cf: cf: jms.org.br/PDF/v22n2a06.pdf

or: OPEN ACCESS: VOGEL et al, 2015:

Determination of collagen content within picrosirius red stained paraffin-embedded tissue sections using fluorescence microscopy

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26150980 or, more successful:  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215016115000102

Best wishes and good luck! WM

PS: Note that there is also available a +/-  "special" staining sequence, namely SVG (Stevenel's Blue - Van Gieson stain).

What about type II collagen? Is there any method to stain for fluorescence microscopy?

I'm a bit confused, as the following study claims that picrosirius cannot differentiate between collagen types:

"As Junqueira and colleagues point out, many studies use color staining to differentiate collagen bundles and to specify collagen types, yet other studies report that polarized colors only reflect fiber thickness and packing. Using a simple histological example, our study illustrates the inability of Picrosirius red staining to differentiate collagen types, since the absorbed amount of polarized light by this dye strictly depends on the orientation of the collagen bundles." (Lattouf et al 2014 "Picrosirius red staining")

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25023614

So, where do we stand? 

Thanks!

Dear Sophie Moittie,

thank you really for your reply to the thread, bringing up an interesting and important question, possibly with some consequences:

The article by Lattouf et al. 2014 [PDF: see: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1369/0022155414545787 ] states and concludes an "inability of Picrosirius Red staining to differentiate collagen types , esp. I & III"    (*)see below .

I have saved the article to my harddisk for further reading and perhaps will comment on later. 

(*) I admit that I had no possibility to test Picrosirius Red stain by myself and own tissue preparations using also polarizing microscopy.

But I know a bit about the ultrastructural appearance of these collagen fiber types and the difficulties to judge and interpret results of polarizing microscopical images. There are a lot of older AS WELL AS recent articles stating that discrimination of collagen types is possible, findings that perhaps can be disproved another time or by other experimental layout/design.

Interestingly, still suppliers of the dye (or staining kits) obviously are sure about the capabilities in distinguishing at least Coll. I &III: (only as ONE example:  cf:  http://www.abcam.com/Picro-Sirius-Red-Stain-Kit-Connective-Tissue-Stain-ab150681.pdf  or: cf: http://www.abcam.com/ps/products/150/ab150681/documents/ab150681-Picro-Sirius%20Stain%20Kit%20(website).pdf. DISCLAIMER: no affiliation with or financial  interest in any supplier or company (mentioned or not mentioned here).

I am exited to read any confirming or countering / different views from experts using Picrosirius Red in polarizing microscopy and having done in parallel IHC-staining specific for Collagen (fibres) type I, II and III.   Until then, I guess some people will use Picrosirius Red & polarizing microscopy to analyse Collagen types as recently: e.g.: 

 LC Junqueira et al, Arch Histol Jpn. 1978 Jun;41(3):267-74. Differential staining of collagens type I, II and III by Sirius Red and polarization microscopy. @  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/82432; 

CONTRARY to the publication of JUNQUEIRA 1979 (as cited in LATTOUF et al, 2014): Junqueira LC, Bignolas G, Brentani RR (1979). Picrosirius staining

plus polarization microscopy, a specific method for collagen detection in tissue sections. Histochem J 11:447-455.                                    

Z Haviarova et al - ‎2008: Comparison of collagen subtype I and III presence in varicose and non-varicose vein walls. @  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18517131 

JM Street et al, ‎2014:  Automated quantification of renal fibrosis with Sirius Red and polarization contrast microscopy.                                                              @  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4187565/ 

or  El-Deen Yassin et al, 2014:  Picrosirius red staining assessment of collagen after dermal roller application: A minimally invasive percutaneous collagen induction therapy.                                                                                                         @ http://www.ijdpdd.com/article.asp?issn=WKMP-0052;year=2014;volume=1;issue=2;spage=68;epage=74;aulast=Yassin

A matter of dispute therefore which might be elucidated by further practical reseach work. 

well explained below

http://www.ihcworld.com/_protocols/special_stains/sirius_red.htm