A glutaraldehyde/potassium dichromate tracing method for the localization and preservation of abdominal extra-adrenal chromaffin tissues.
The present work introduces a method for the localization in situ of the abdominal paraganglia. After treating retroperitoneal tissue blocks with a near-neutral glutaraldehyde/potassium dichromate solution following routine glutaraldehyde perfusion, intra- and extraadrenal chromaffin tissues develop a pronounced brown color from the interaction of glutaraldehyde/potassium dichromate with amines. In this manner, visualization of the abdominal extra-adrenal chromaffin organs is enhanced at the same time that cellular ultrastructure is preserved. Subsequent examination of the dichromate-reacted tissues with the electron microscope confirms that they represent the amine-rich paraganglia. This method offers an effective alternative to extensive sampling of plastic-embedded blocks for localizing peripheral chromaffin tissue and has been used to define the exact distribution of abdominal paraganglia in the rabbit.
D000005:Abdomen / Q000032:analysis*; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D002838:Chromaffin System; D005976:Glutaral; D010233:Paraganglia, Chromaffin; D011192:Potassium Dichromate; D011817:Rabbits; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods*
D005976:Glutaral; D011192:Potassium Dichromate