Studies on preparation technique of human erythrocytes for clinical scanning electron microscopy.
Various methods of preparation were tested and modified in order to establish a proper method of preparing normal and pathological human erythrocytes for scanning electron microscopy. Morphological changes after various preparation techniques, such as echinocytosis, spherocytosis, elliptocytosis and knizocytosis were studied and evaluated statistically. The best method, so far obtained to preserve 99% of normal erythrocytes as biconcave discocytes, was that of venous blood without anticoagulants or acid-citrate-dextrose, washed with physiological saline at 37 degrees C, fixed in 0.75% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.3 (318 mosmol), postfixed in 1% osmium tetroxide, dehydrated with graded ethanol and amyl acetate, dried with critical point drying method, and coated with carbon and gold.
D000328:Adult; D004912:Erythrocytes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods*