MICROWAVE-ENERGY FIXATION FOR ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 120  (2) , 230-243
Abstract
Microwave energy (MW) can be used in conjunction with chemical cross-linking agents in order to rapidly fix cell suspensions and tissue blocks for EM in 7-9 s. The optima MW fixation method involved immersing tissue up to 1 cm3 in dilute aldehyde fixative and immediately irradiating the specimens in a conventional microwave oven for 9 s to 50.degree. C. Ultrastructural preservation of samples irradiated by MW energy was comparable to that of the control samples immersed in aldehyde fixative for 2 h at 25 C. Stereologic analysis showed that tissue blocks fixed by the MW fixation method did not cause organelles such as liver mitochondria and salivary gland granules to shrink or to swell. Potential applications for this new fixation technology include the investigation of rapid intracellular processes (e.g., vesicular transport) and preservation of proteins that are difficult to demonstrate with routine fixation methods (e.g., antigens and enzymes).