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Treatment with lithium salts reduces ethanol dehydration shrinkage of glutaraldehyde fixed tissue

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Summary

Changes in the area of glutaraldehyde fixed 15 day p.c. mouse embryo limbs were recorded using a Quantimet 720 image analysing computer attached to a light microscope: during a period of treatment with an isotonic salt solution (mostly halides of the alkali or alkaline earth metals); a subsequent wash with distilled water; and dehydration through a 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, and 100% ethanol series. Pretreatment with NaCl, KCl, RbCl had no significant effect. Treatment with LiCl, LiNO3, LiF (0.03 M), CsF and CsCl caused an increase (relative to Na, K or Rb treated samples) in the specimen volume during dehydration, which persisted in 100% ethanol. Li treated samples showed the largest post-critical-point-drying (CPD) volumes, followed by Cs treated tissue. Pretreatment with Be, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba chlorides caused shrinkage and the 100% ethanol and post-CPD volumes of these samples were all lower than those treated with the monovalent cation containing salts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anatomy Department, University College London, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, England

    A. Boyde & E. Maconnachie

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  1. A. Boyde
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  2. E. Maconnachie
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Boyde, A., Maconnachie, E. Treatment with lithium salts reduces ethanol dehydration shrinkage of glutaraldehyde fixed tissue. Histochemistry 66, 181–187 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00494644

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00494644

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