Treatment with lithium salts reduces ethanol dehydration shrinkage of glutaraldehyde fixed tissue.
Changes in the area of glutaraldehyde fixed 15 day p.c. mouse embryo limbs were recorded using a Quantimet 720 image analysing computer attached to a light microscope: during a period of treatment with an isotonic salt solution (mostly halides of the alkali or alkaline earth metals); a subsequent wash with distilled water; and dehydration through a 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, and 100% ethanol series. Pretreatment with NaCl, KCl, RbCl had no significant effect. Treatment with LiCl, LiNO3, LiF (0.03 M), CsF and CsCl caused an increase (relative to Na, K or Rb treated samples) in the specimen volume during dehydration, which persisted in 100% ethanol. Li treated samples showed the largest post-critical-point-drying (CPD) volumes, followed by Cs treated tissue. Pretreatment with Be, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba chlorides caused shrinkage and the 100% ethanol and post-CPD volumes of these samples were all lower than those treated with the monovalent cation containing salts.
D000447:Aldehydes; D000818:Animals; D002413:Cations, Divalent / Q000494:pharmacology; D002414:Cations, Monovalent / Q000494:pharmacology; D003890:Desiccation; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005404:Fixatives; D005976:Glutaral; D006652:Histological Techniques; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice
D000447:Aldehydes; D002413:Cations, Divalent; D002414:Cations, Monovalent; D005404:Fixatives; D000431:Ethanol; D008094:Lithium; D005976:Glutaral