FIXATION OF CATECHOLAMINES INCLUDING ADRENALINE IN TISSUE-SECTIONS

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 122  (NOV) , 403-413
Abstract
Following i.v. or i.p. injections of 3H-L-dopa radioactivity in adrenal medullary chromaffin cells of the mouse was followed by autoradiographic and radioisotopic assay methods. For autoradiographic purposes tissues were fixed in either phosphate buffered glutaraldehyde or in 1.5% potassium dichromate in glutaraldehyde pH 7.2. A high initial radioactivity is demonstrated by both autoradiography and radioisotopic assay. During the 1st h dopamine is the predominant labeled amine. Between 1-4 h after the injection noradrenaline [NA] is in highest concentration and from 1-24 h labeled adrenaline [A] appears and becomes the predominant labeled amine (about 70%) after 24 h. Autoradiographs of tissues fixed in glutaraldehyde alone confirm that adrenaline is lost from sections by this technique. When 1.5% potassium dichromate is added to glutaraldehyde then adrenaline is fixed in A cells and these show only a slightly decreased grain count compared to NA cells at 5 days; this slight decrease is probably due to more rapid turnover of amines by A cells.