Micronuclei assay of exfoliated oral buccal cells: Means to assess the nuclear abnormalities in different diseases

The micronuclei assay (MA) in exfoliated buccal cells is an innovative genotoxicity technique, which holds promise for the study of epithelial carcinogens. Micronuclei are suitable internal dosimeters for revealing tissue-specific genotoxic damage in individuals exposed to carcinogenic mixtures. This article reviews the MN assay with respect to oral buccal mucosa, which has been used since the 1980s to demonstrate cytogenetic effects of environmental and occupational exposures, lifestyle factors, dietary deficiencies, and different diseases along with the characteristics of micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities

Use of microwave in diagnostic pathology

Conventional tissue fixation and processing is as old as 100 years and still remains the gold standard against which all new technologies and methods need to be assessed. Tissue processing is one of the important steps for obtaining good thin sections without artifacts. Though conventional tissue-processing methods are most commonly followed, they are well-known as very laborious and tedious procedures. Microwaves a form of electromagnetic wave-induced heat, when applied in histotechnology, reproducibly yields histolologic material of similar or superior quality to that provided by conventional processing methods, making it more popular in the recent years. A laboratory microwave offers features like maximum output of 2000-3000 watts, an in-built source of adjustable temperature probe, facility for ventilation of hazardous fumes, but is expensive. Considering the usefulness of microwave in histotechnology, i.e., reducing the time required for the diagnosis, replacing the conventional equipments of laboratories by microwave-guided ones is a remarkable and an acceptable change