title: Comparison of formaldehyde and methanol fixatives used in the detection of ion channel proteins in isolated rat ventricular myocytes by immunofluorescence labelling and confocal microscopy.
abstract: In this study, a fixation protocol using a 10% neutral buffered formalin (FA) solution and another protocol using a methanol (MeOH) solution were compared for detection of ion channels, Kv1.5, Kv4.2, Cav1.2, Kir6.2, Nav1.5 and Nav1.1 in rat myocytes by immunolabelling. Kv1.5 and Kv4.2 at intercalated discs and Cav1.2 at transverse tubules were not detected by FA but were detected by MeOH. Kir6.2 at transverse tubules and Nav1.5 at sarcolemma were detected by FA but not by MeOH. It is suggested that both FA and MeOH fixation protocols should be used for the detection of cardiac ion channels by immunolabelling.
authors.affiliation: Kagawa Prefectural University of Health Sciences, 281-1 Hara, Mure-cho, Takamatsu City, Kagawa, Japan. t.t.yamanushi@chs.pref.kagawa.jp.
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Yamanushi
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Boyett
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohsaki
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dobrzynski