Studies on the optimalisation and standardisation of the light microscopical succinate dehydrogenase histochemistry

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Abstract
Summary The present investigation was undertaken in order to establish an optimal tissue pretreatment and an optimal incubation medium for the histochemical demonstration of succinate dehydrogenase (E.C. 1.3.99.1). The investigations were performed on steroid producing (testicle, adrenal gland) and steroid dependent (Fallopian tube) tissues. We studied the influences of formalin fixation, acetone, magnesium ions, cyanides, electron carriers (phenazine methosulfate, menadione, coenzyme Q10), osmolarity, substrate concentration and inhibitors (oxalacetate, oxalate, malonate, 4-chloromercuribenzoic acid). The following procedure yields blameless morphological integrity and enzyme localization as well as optimal SDH-activity: Freezing of tissue cubes (diameter less than 5 mm) in propane cooled with liquid nitrogen or in melting freon. Incubation of 5 μm cryostat sections in narrow jars in the following medium (38.5 ml): - 10 ml of 0.2 M sodium phosphate buffer pH 7.6 (52 mM). - 18 mg tetranitro-BT in 0.5 ml dimethylformamide and aqua bidest. ad 10 ml (0.5 mM). - 2.6 mg KCN in 16 ml aqua bidest. (1 mM). - 540 mg succinate (disodium salt, hexahydrate) in 2 ml aqua bidest. (52 mM). - 3 mg PMS (phenazine methosulfate) in 0.5 ml aqua bidest. (0.25 mM). The incubation medium has an osmolarity of 440 mosm. The incubation is carried out for 10 min at 37° C in darkness. To avoid non specific formazan deposits in lipid containing tissues a preincubation of the cryostat sections in 100% acetone at −22° C or −40° C for 7–10 min and an incubation time of 20–30 min is recommended. Control incubations adduced proof at the specificity of the SDH demonstration. Parallel incubation without PMS in order to determine indirectly the content of endogenous CoQ10 is further recommended.

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