title: An effective fixative for glucocorticoid receptors in fetal tissues.
abstract: As a preliminary study in an autoradiographic study of glucocorticoid (GC) receptor localization in orofacial tissues of mouse fetuses, a search was made to determine the most effective fixative for preservation of the GC-receptor complex. Twelve-day-old mouse fetuses were administered tritiated triamcinolone acetonide (3H-TAC) intraamniotically and subsequently processed by one of the following three procedures: freeze-drying, prefixation with Karnovsky's fixative, or "the catechin fixative" (Karnovsky's fixative containing 1% D-catechin) and postfixation with osmium tetroxide. Light microscopic autoradiography and liquid scintillation counting of the specimens revealed that the catechin fixative gave the best results for fixation of the steroid-receptor complex and preservation of tissue structure. Light and electron microscopic autoradiographic studies of the time course of the localization of 3H-TAC in palatal shelves supported the catechin fixative as being the most effective in preservation of GC-receptor or ligand complexes.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000032:analysis*; D005404:Fixatives; D005612:Freeze Drying; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000032:analysis*; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000032:analysis*; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide / Q000378:metabolism; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D005404:Fixatives; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D014316:Tritium; D014222:Triamcinolone Acetonide