Lanthanum as an intracellular stain for electron microscopy

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Microscopy Techniques

Background:

• Standard aldehyde fixation is crucial for electron microscopy.
• Improving contrast in electron microscopy can enhance ultrastructural details.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of Malachite Green and lanthanum chloride on aldehyde fixation for electron microscopy.
• To compare contrast enhancement in duodenal enterocytes using different fixation methods.

Main Methods:

• Duodenal enterocytes were fixed using standard aldehyde fixation.
• Fixation was also performed with added Malachite Green (0.1%) or lanthanum chloride (10 mM).
• Sections were examined unstained and after counterstaining with lead citrate and uranyl acetate.

Main Results:

• Lanthanum chloride fixation significantly improved contrast in unstained sections compared to standard fixation and Malachite Green.
• Lanthanum chloride also led to more frequent and easily detectable areas of excellent contrast after counterstaining.
• Malachite Green improved contrast more than standard fixation but less than lanthanum chloride.
• The plasmalemma-glycocalyx in microvilli was more clearly defined with lanthanum chloride fixation.

Conclusions:

• The addition of lanthanum chloride or Malachite Green to aldehyde fixatives can be beneficial for ultrastructural studies.
• Lanthanum chloride appears to be a particularly effective agent for enhancing contrast in electron microscopy of enterocytes.