Microwave irradiation for fixation and immunostaining of endothelial cells in situ

Using microwave irradiation during tissue fixation and immunostaining reduces sample preparation time and facilitates penetration of fixatives and antibody solutions into the tissues. This results in improved fixation and reduction of non-specific binding of antibodies, respectively. Experimental analyses of endothelial cells in blood vessels in situ have been limited because of the difficulty of tissue preparation. We report here a technique using intermittent microwave irradiation for blood vessel fixation and immunostaining the fixed tissues. Intermittent microwave irradiation during fixation reduced blood vessel contraction and resulted in well preserved morphology of blood vessels, especially the endothelial cells. Microwave irradiation also reduced non-specific binding of fluorescein-labeled antibodies. These microwave irradiation-assisted techniques are useful for analysis of endothelial cell function and for pathological study of blood vessels in situ.