Effect of different fixatives on Con A surface receptors of mouse peritoneal macrophages

• Published in: Histochemistry 1990-01, Vol.93 (4), p.443-446
• Main Authors: PESCHKE, T, WOLLWEBER, L, GABERT, A, AUGSTEN, K, STRACKE, E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cell receptors; Cell structures and functions; Concanavalin A - analogs & derivatives; Concanavalin A - metabolism; Electron Probe Microanalysis; Fixatives - pharmacology; Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate - analogs & derivatives; Fluoresceins - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Immunohistochemistry; Macrophages - ultrastructure; Male; Mice; Microscopy, Electron; Miscellaneous; Molecular and cellular biology; Osmium Tetroxide; Peritoneal Cavity; Receptors, Concanavalin A - drug effects; Receptors, Concanavalin A - metabolism; Spectrometry, Fluorescence
• ISSN: 0301-5564; 1432-119X
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00315865

The effects of glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, or osmium tetroxide fixation on the number of labeled Con A surface receptors on mouse peritoneal macrophages were compared. Gold-labeled Con A receptors were found to be isolatedly arranged and evenly distributed on cell surfaces independent of the fixative used. Only cells preincubated with Con A and subsequently fixed by osmium tetroxide showed arrangement of labeled receptors in clusters. Significant differences were found in the number of Con A receptors per cell depending on the fixative used. The fluorescence intensity of FITC-Con A staining was detected spectrophotometrically, the characteristic X-rays of gold-labeled Con A receptors were determined by means of electron beam-induced X-ray microanalysis. The experimental results obtained both at light and electron microscopic level pointed to formaldehyde being the best fixative also for this purpose.