Polarization Optical Properties of the Pancreatic Acinar Cell of the Mouse

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Abstract
The birefringence of fresh and fixed mouse pancreatic acinar tissue was studied, utilizing whole mounts of pancreas from which the mesentery had been removed. Fresh pancreas in Tyrode's solution demonstrated positive birefringence with respect to the radial axis (the axis radiating from the nucleus as spokes from a wheel). Formol fixation reversed the sign of birefringence to negative with respect to the radius. The magnitude of birefringence increased with longer fixation. Neutral formol also reversed the sign to radially negative, but the magnitude did not increase with longer fixation. Tissue fixed in 2 per cent osmium tetroxide or potassium permanganate demonstrated strongly negative birefringence with respect to the radius. The cytoplasm of tissue fixed in acetic acid, though finely granular, still possessed radially positive birefringence. Birefringent areas could be seen in tissue fixed in potassium dichromate, but the sign of birefringence could not be determined. Ethyl alcohol, chromic acid, picric acid, and mercuric chloride all produced a brilliant cytoplasm in which no birefringence could be demonstrated. Freezing markedly decreased the radially positive birefringence of fresh tissue.