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Updated: Sep 17, 2026
Biochemical Titration of Glycogen In vitro
Published on: November 24, 2013
On artifacts appearing in the histochemical fixation of glycogen
Abstract:
1. Fixation artifacts associated with glycogen translocation are prevalent in tissues of parenchymatous type and scarce or non-existent in tissues of loose type. 2. Liver tissue treated with M/3 NaOH solution before fixation did not show an uneven distribution of glycogen. This was interpreted as indicating that the liver, a tissue of parenchymatous type, was changed, so to speak, into a loose type of tissue by alkali treatment. 3. The so called Alkohol-flucht of glycogen was produced in Yoshida's ascites tumor cells by a procedure which changed a loose type of tissue into a parenchymatous one, that is, by packing the tumor cells tightly. 4. The translocation of glycogen in cells appeared to occur when the fixatives penetrated the cells rapidly from a single direction, but failed to occur when the cells were attacked by the fixative from all directions. 5. In dried smears of Yoshida's ascites tumor cells and bone marrow cells, the glycogen particles are translocated to the peripheral regions of the cells, and coalesce there. The production of these artifacts is related in some way to the physicochemical properties of the protoplasm and plasma membrane of the cells.
Insights
Glycogen translocation artifacts occur in parenchymatous tissues but not loose tissues. Alkali treatment or multi-directional fixation prevents these glycogen movement artifacts in cells.
Area of Science:
- Histology
- Cell Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Fixation artifacts can alter the observed distribution of cellular components.
- Glycogen translocation is a known artifact affecting glycogen visualization in histological samples.
- Understanding artifact formation is crucial for accurate interpretation of cellular structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the factors influencing glycogen translocation during tissue fixation.
- To differentiate between true glycogen distribution and fixation-induced artifacts.
- To explore methods for preventing glycogen translocation artifacts.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of glycogen distribution in different tissue types (parenchymatous vs. loose).
- Treatment of liver tissue with alkali (NaOH) prior to fixation.
- Induction of glycogen translocation in Yoshida's ascites tumor cells by altering tissue density.
- Examination of fixation effects based on fixative penetration direction.
- Analysis of glycogen behavior in dried cell smears.
Main Results:
- Glycogen translocation artifacts are common in parenchymatous tissues but rare in loose tissues.
- Alkali treatment of liver tissue prevented uneven glycogen distribution, suggesting a change in tissue type.
- Packing Yoshida's ascites tumor cells induced glycogen translocation (Alkohol-flucht).
- Rapid, unidirectional fixative penetration promoted glycogen translocation, while multi-directional penetration inhibited it.
- In dried smears, glycogen particles moved to cell peripheries.
Conclusions:
- Glycogen translocation is dependent on tissue type and fixation methodology.
- Physicochemical properties of protoplasm and plasma membrane play a role in artifact formation.
- Controlled fixation techniques can mitigate glycogen translocation artifacts, improving diagnostic accuracy.
