title: A method for fixation of previously fresh-frozen human adult and fetal brains that preserves histological quality and immunoreactivity.
abstract: A method is described that enables fixation of previously fresh-frozen and stored adult and fetal human or animal brains. The method involves fixing during thawing under controlled, cryoprotected conditions and is compatible with good histological quality and the preservation of enzymatic activity and immunoreactivity of many neural antigens. It offers considerable advantages for the storage of large amounts of tissue from which multiple samples can be taken and processed under fixation and other conditions that can be optimized for a variety of methods, many of which may be incompatible if the whole brain is fixed in a single fixative prior to storage.
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000032:analysis; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000276:immunology; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005615:Freezing; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase