Evidence that cytoplasmic birefringence is a normal feature of rat adrenal chromaffin cells.
The rat adrenal medulla was fixed by isobaric whole-body perfusion with glutaraldehyde. Specimens treated with anisotropic stains exhibited a diffuse cytoplasmic birefringence. Evidence is presented that birefringence is not only associated with "dark" cell formation, but may be a normal feature of fixed chromaffin cells. It is suggested that the birefringence is caused by the fixed contents of the chromaffin vesicles and/or the microtrabecular lattice recently described in rat chromaffin cells.
D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D001399:Azure Stains; D001718:Birefringence; D002837:Chromaffin Granules / Q000032:analysis*; D002838:Chromaffin System / Q000032:analysis*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D004975:Ethacridine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013194:Staining and Labeling
D001399:Azure Stains; C025818:Azure A; D004975:Ethacridine