Effects of early and late treating of corneae after the death of animals on the staining properties of corneal acid mucopolysaccharides (AMPS)

Summary

The effects of early and late treating of the corneae on the staining properties of acid mucopolysaccharides (AMPS) were studied. The eyes of various animals were enucleated at various intervals, i.e., immediately after death, 30 min, 2 hours and 6 hours after death, and then were fixed with formol-calcium chloride. Paraffin sections were stained with Alcian blue at pH 1.0 and 2.5, colloidal Fe³⁺, Alcian blue at pH 0.5—Alcian yellow at pH 2.5, 1% Alcian blue in increasing concentrations of MgCl₂, and toluidine blue at pH 4.5.

The staining of AMPS in the corneae of various animals was mainly dependent on the time interval between the death of the animal and fixation of the tissue. The staining of AMPS of the corneae fixed immediately after death demonstrated the staining of partially dehydrated corneae. In the corneal stroma only faint staining of carboxyl groups was observed. With increasing time intervals, the progressive hydration of tissue was observed. In this case very distinct staining of carboxyl and also staining of sulphate groups was found. There were no qualitative differences in the staining of corneal AMPS among animals used.