title: Demonstration of herpes simplex 1 virus antigen mouse brain after fixation.
abstract: The effects of several fixatives and fixation periods on recovery of viral antigen by indirect immunofluorescence (IF) and indirect immunoperoxidase (IP) were examined in mouse brains infected with type-1 herpes simplex virus. In 10% formalin, the sensitivity of antigen detection by IF decreased after one month fixation and viral antigen was barely detectable after fixation for three months. But in 10% buffered formalin antigenicity was not lost after six months. Similar effects were obtained by IP; however, specimens fixed in 10% formalin for three and six months showed positive reactions. Viral antigen was detectable without enzyme digestion in paraffin materials fixed in Bouin's, Carnoy's and Dubosq-Brazil solutions, but when treated with proteolytic enzyme for three hours, antigen could not be detected by either IF or IP. Ten per cent buffered formalin, Bouin's or Dubosq-Brazil solutions are recommended as fixatives for retrospective immunohistochemical and histopathological studies of viral infection in autopsy and biopsy materials.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005404:Fixatives; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005557:Formaldehyde; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D051379:Mice; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral; D005404:Fixatives; D005557:Formaldehyde