The Use of Triphenyltetrazolium Chloride for the Study of Respiration of Tissue Slices

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Abstract
Free-hand 0.5 mm. slices of liver, kidney, spleen, small intestine, and spontaneous mammary tumor when present, from CFW mice with and without spontaneous mammary carcinoma are washed in wide-mouth test tubes with 5 ml. of saline, washings decanted, and 3 ml. of a 1% tetrazolium soln. in distilled water at pH 7.2 are added. Tubes are incubated at 37[degree]C with agitation for 30 or 60 min. after which time the tetrazolium soln. is decanted, and the reduced dye extracted from the tissues with several washings of acetone. Extracted reduced dye is diluted to 5 ml. with acetone, and the intensity of color determined with Klett-Summerson colorimeter. Tissues were dried and weighed, and the color reading /mg. of tissue determined. Addition of Na azide resulted in a decrease in the reduction of the dye. No marked differences in respiration of tissues from cancerous and non-cancerous mice were noted, with the questionable exception for diaphragm.
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