Related Experiment Videos
Hexazonium pararosaniline as a fixative for animal tissues
1Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario London Canada N6A 5C1. Kiernan@uwo.ca
Summary
Hexazonium pararosaniline protects unfixed tissue sections from water damage. This protective effect is likely due to the solution's low pH, not a fixative action.
Area of Science:
- Histochemistry
- Biochemistry
- Tissue Preservation
Background:
- Hexazonium pararosaniline is a reagent used in enzyme activity histochemistry.
- It is an aqueous solution of a tris-diazonium ion derived from pararosaniline.
- Previous studies suggest it protects unfixed tissue sections from aqueous reagents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the protective effects of hexazonium pararosaniline on unfixed animal tissues.
- To determine if hexazonium pararosaniline acts as a fixative.
- To elucidate the mechanism behind its protective properties.
Main Methods:
- Treatment of cryostat sections of lymphoid tissue and striated muscle with hexazonium pararosaniline.
- Exposure of treated sections to water, saline, dilute nitrous acid, or hydrochloric acid.
- Testing the response of model tissues (gelatin/albumin) to hexazonium pararosaniline and known fixatives (formaldehyde, mercuric chloride).
Main Results:
- Hexazonium pararosaniline protected lymphoid tissue and striated muscle from damage by water and saline.
- Similar protection was observed with dilute acids at concentrations found in hexazonium pararosaniline solutions.
- Hexazonium pararosaniline did not prevent the dissolution of protein gels in water, indicating no fixative action.
Conclusions:
- Hexazonium pararosaniline does not possess a fixative action on tissues.
- The protective effect on frozen sections is likely attributed to the low pH of the hexazonium pararosaniline solution.
- Further research may be needed to fully understand its role in histochemical procedures.