title: Studies to improve fixation of human nerves. Part 3. Effect of osmolality of glutaraldhyde solutions on relationship of axonal area to number of myelin lamellae.
abstract: When rat peroneal nerves were fixed under 5 different fixation schedules with various osmolalities (310, 410 and 900 milliosmoles), the frequency of abnormality of mitochondria in the axoplasm was lowest in myelinated fibers fixed with 6% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M cacodylate buffer (900 milliosmoles). The relationship of axonal area to number of myelin lamellae was significantly different between high-osmolality fixation and low-osmolality fixation. Assuming that the number of myelin lamellae remains the same with fixation, there was a significant shrinkage in the axonal area of fibers with high-osmolality fixation. The amount of shrinkage was less in larger fibers than in smaller fibers fixed at high osmolality.
mesh_terms: D000447:Aldehydes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005976:Glutaral / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006652:Histological Techniques; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D005976:Glutaral