The refractive index for VECTASHIELD Mounting Medium is 1.45.
VECTASHIELD PLUS Mounting Medium does not solidify, but rather, remains a liquid on the slide ‐ which can then be stored without sealing. If desired, coverslips can be sealed around the perimeter using nail polish or plastic sealant. Mounted slides should be stored at 2-8 °C and protected from light.
VECTASHIELD Mounting Medium Antifade Comparison
Other manufacturers measure the antifade properties of their mountants using labeled microspheres or arrayed spots. Vector Labs prefers to measure antifade properties of VECTASHIELD mountants using frozen tissue sections that have been immunohistochemically stained with fluorescently labeled secondary antibodies. Antifade capability is then measured using a 40x objective with real time imaging over 30 seconds of continuous exposure to the excitation illumination. Individual intensity measurements are recorded from 6 separate labeled regions and the average is calculated. The intensity after 30 second exposure is expressed as a percentage of the intensity at zero time. The values for PG are taken from the manufacturer's published results.
VECTASHIELD PLUS References:
1. González-Rodríguez, P. et al. (2020) The DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A contributes to autophagy long-term memory. Autophagy. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15548627.2020.1816664)
2. Viena, T. et al. (2020) Calretinin and calbindin architecture of the midline thalamus associated with prefrontal–hippocampal circuitry. Hippocampus (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/hipo.23271)
3. Molina-García, L. et al. (2020) Direct glia-to-neuron transdifferentiation gives rise to a pair of male-specific neurons that ensure nimble male mating. eLife (https://elifesciences.org/articles/48361)
4. Valle, L. et al. (2021) Induction of Brain Tumors by the Archetype Strain of Human Neurotropic JCPyV in a Transgenic Mouse Model. Viruses (https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/2/162/htm)