title: Comparison of cryopreparation techniques for electron probe microanalysis of cells as exemplified by human erythrocytes.
abstract: Erythrocytes in human blood were used to evaluate the reliability of cryopreparation techniques for electron probe X-ray microanalysis of biological cells and tissues. The elemental content determined by X-ray microanalysis of ultrathin freeze-dried cryosections was found to be consistent with data known from the literature. Considerable redistribution of the intracellular elemental composition was found after freeze-substitution as well as after freeze-drying followed by resin embedding. Two conclusions are drawn from this study: 1. Erythrocytes in human blood are a suitable reference specimen for evaluation of specimen preparation techniques for microanalysis. 2. At present, freeze-dried cryosections are the most reliable specimen type for quantitative electron probe microanalysis of cells.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Systemphysiologie, Dortmund, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zierold
mesh_terms: D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D004912:Erythrocytes; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity