Effects of fixation and postfixation treatments on volume of injured cells

Abstract

With regard to volume change of control cells during fixation, the results are consistent with the known effects of some fixation media used commonly in electron microscopy. The results indicate that the response of injured cells to fixation may differ significantly from that of control cells and that the response may also differ according to the nature of the injury. The conclusion reached is that attention must be paid to the preservation of cellular volume during fixation when common fixation procedures are applied to studies on injured cells. With aldehyde fixatives this can be achieved by avoiding high concentrations of aldehydes in GA FA (Glutaraldehyde Formaldehyde) combination fixatives and by modifying the buffer osmolality of the fixation solution, whereas in OsO4 fixation cellular expansion can be minimized by adding certain chemical agents.