LESSON 2: FIXATION Flashcards
first and most critical step in tissue processing
FIXATION
fixing or preserving fresh tissue for examination
FIXATION
should be done immediately to preserve cellular and tissue morphology
FIXATION
Two Purposes of Fixation
- Preservation: primary purpose
- Protection: secondary purpose
capable of forming cross-links between proteins
Fixative agents
stabilizes tissue components making them insoluble to lysosomal enzymes
Fixative agents
Types of Fixative:
- Additive: becomes part of the cross-link itself
- Non-Additive: facilitates the removal of water in order for cross-links to form
: becomes part of the cross-link itself
- Additive
: facilitates the removal of water in order for cross-links to form
- Non-Additive
capable of inactivating lysosomes
Fixative agents
RETARDED BY:
Increase in size and thickness
Presence of mucus
Presence of fats
Presence of blood
Decrease in temperature
ENHANCED BY:
Decrease in size and thickness
Presence of agitation
Presence of heat
pH:
6 to 8
Routine Manual:
Room Temp (20 to 22oC)
Routine Automated:
40 oC
Electron Microscopy:
0 to 4oC
Formalin at 60 oC:
very urgent biopsies
Light Microscopy:
2cm2 by 0.4cm thick
Electron Microscopy:
1 to 2 mm2
Lung Edema:
1 to 2 cm thick
Light microscopy:
slightly hypertonic (400-450 mOsm)
Electron Microscopy:
more or less isotonic (340 mOsm)
Formaldehyde:
Glutaraldehyde:
10%
3%
Routine:
10 to 25 times the volume of the specimen
Museum:
50 to 100 times the volume of the specimen
Cover with several layers of gauze
- Air-filled Lungs
Dilate with cotton soaked in fixative
- Hollow Organs
Completely open specimen
- Hollow Organs
Fix first before sampling
- Brain
Suspended by a cord tied under the Circle of Willis
- Brain
Intravascular perfusion using Ringer’s lactate
- Brain
Fixed whole
- Eyes
Inject formol-alcohol
- Eyes
Lendrum’s Method: washed out with running water overnight and immersed in 4% aq. phenol solution for 1-3 days
- Hard Tissues
Stretched with sutures on each end
- Muscles
Laid flat in a moist filter paper
- Muscles
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD FIXATIVE
- Cheap & economical
- Stable and safe to handle
- Fast acting, permits rapid an even penetration
- Inhibits bacterial decomposition & autolysis
- Must harden tissues
- At least isotonic
- Must render tissues insensitive to subsequent processing
- Must be compatible with many staining procedures
: made up of only one component substance
- Simple Fixatives
: made up of two or more fixatives
- Compound Fixatives
: permit general microscopic study of tissue structures and normal intercellular relationship of tissues
- Microanatomical Fixatives
: preserve specific cellular components
- Cytological Fixatives
: preserve nuclear structures
A. Nuclear Fixatives
contain glacial HAc
A. Nuclear Fixatives
high affinity to nuclear chromatin
glacial HAc
destroys mitochondria and Golgi bodies
glacial HAc
pH 4.6 or less
A. Nuclear Fixatives
: preserve cytoplasmic structures
Cytoplasmic Fixatives
do not contain glacial HAc
Cytoplasmic Fixatives
pH of more than 4.6
Cytoplasmic Fixatives
: preserve chemical constituents
Histochemical Fixatives
a. Lipids:
mercuric chloride or potassium dichromate
b. Phospholipids:
Baker’s formol-calcium
c. Cholesterol:
digitonin
d. Carbohydrates:
alcoholic fixatives
e. Glycogen:
Rossman’s fluid or cold absolute alcohol
f. Proteins:
neutral buffered formol saline or formaldehyde vapor
g. Electron microscopy:
double fixation
- Electron Cytochemistry:
Karnovsky’s paraformaldehydeglutaraldehyde solution
- Acrolein:
mixture of glutaraldehyde or fomaldehyde
rapid penetration, preserves morphology and enzyme activity at low concentrations
Acrolein
immersion fixation of surgical biopsies
Acrolein
: for routine paraffin sections, electron microscopy, histochemistry and enzyme studies
ALDEHYDE FIXATIVES
gas produced by the oxidation of methyl alcohol
Formaldehyde (Formalin)
buffered at ph 7 to 8
Formaldehyde (Formalin)