Summary
Small tissue blocks of various organs of the rat were incubated for gradually increasing times in a neutral buffer-sucrose medium modelling the main parameters of the histochemical incubations. Following incubation the blocks were fixed in paraformaldehydeosmium and embedded in Durcupan. The electron microscopic study revealed that even after 40 minutes of incubation prior to fixation, fine structure is preserved satisfactorily from the histochemical point of view. With consideration to further advantages of such a proceeding, the incubation of unfixed tissue blocks for electron-histochemistry is recommended.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Brzin, M., Tennyson, V. M., Duffy, Ph. E.: Acetylcholinesterase in frog sympathetic and dorsal root ganglia. J. Cell Biol. 31, 215–242 (1966).
Goyer, B. A., Krall, R.: Ultrastructural transformation in mitochondria isolated from kidneys of normal and lead intoxicated rats. J. Cell Biol. 41, 393–400 (1969).
Hackenbrock, Ch. B.: Ultrastructural basis for metabolically linked mechanical activity in mitochondria. II. Electron transport-linked ultrastructural transformations in mitochondria. J. Cell Biol. 37, 345–369 (1968).
Hajós, F., Priymak, E. Kh.: The ultrastructural distribution of succinic dehydrogenase activity in the hypothalamo-hypophyseal neurosecretory system of the rat [In Russian]. Tsitologiya (in press).
Haydon, G. B., Smith, S. O., Seligman, A. M.: Observations on mitochondrial staining for succinic dehydrogenase. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 15, 752–754 (1967).
Hunter, G. R., Brierley, G. P.: Alterations in the morphology of isolated beef heart mitochondria as a function of metabolic activity. J. Cell Biol. 43, 56 (1969).
Kerpel-Fronius, S., Hajós, F.: A method for the electron microscopic demonstration of cytochrome oxidase in fresh and formalin-prefixed tissues. Histochemie 10, 216–223 (1967).
—: The use of ferricyanide for the light and electron microscopic demonstration of succinic dehydrogenase activity. Histochemie 14, 343–351 (1968).
- - Electron microscopic demonstration of energy production and coupled respiration of in situ mitochondria. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 1970 (in press).
Koslow, S. H., Giacobini, E.: An isotopic micromethod for the measurement of cholinesterase activity in individual cells. J. Neurochem. 16, 1523–1528 (1969).
Legato, M. J., Spiro, D., Langer, G. A.: Ultrastructural alterations produced in mammalian myocardium by variation in perfusate ionic composition. J. Cell Biol. 37, 1–12 (1968).
Pearse, A. G. E.: Histochemistry, 3d ed., vol. 1, p. 94. London: Churchill Ltd. 1968.
Pease, D. C.: Histological techniques for electron microscopy, sec. ed. New York and London: Academic Press 1964.
Reynolds, E. S.: The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron-opaque stain in electron microscopy. J. Cell Biol. 17, 208–212 (1963).
Sabatini, D. D., Bensch, K., Barnett, R. J.: Cytochemistry and electron microscopy. The preservation of cellular ultrastructure and enzymatic activity by aldehyde fixation. J. Cell Biol. 17, 19–58 (1963).
—, Miller, F., Barnett, R. J.: Aldehyde fixation for morphological and enzyme histochemical studies with the electron microscope. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 12, 57–71 (1964).
Weinbach, E. C., Garbus, J., Sheffield, H. G.: Morphology of mitochondria in the coupled, uncoupled and recoupled states. Exp. Cell Res. 46, 129–143 (1967).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hajós, F., Kerpel-Fronius, S. The incubation of unfixed tissues for electron microscopic histochemistry. Histochemie 23, 120–126 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305845
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00305845