Cellular membrane contrast and contrast differentiation with osmium triazole and tetrazole complexes

Addition of heterocyclic nitrogen compounds to the classical osmium tetroxide postfixation medium, applied after glutaraldehyde fixation, results in enhanced membrane contrast in ultrathin sections of liver tissue. The addition of similar compounds to potassium osmate solutions, results in contrast differences in some cellular membranes. The membranes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, the nuclear envelope and the plasma membrane acquire contrast, while the mitochondrial membranes do not. The apolar regions of membranes are contrasted when osmium tetroxide is combined with heterocyclic nitrogen compounds, whereas the polar regions are contrasted by combinations of potassium osmate with these compounds. This polar membrane contrast is probably due to the presence of an amino-group in the heterocyclic nitrogen compounds. Compounds without the amino-group do not contrast membranes, although the glycogen is contrasted. X-ray microanalysis served to establish the relative osmium content in contrasted glycogen, and showed that such nitrogen compounds play a role in complexation of cations in aldehyde-fixed tissues. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) measurements of isolated muscle glycogen show that after treatment with various osmium tetroxide or potassium osmate solutions, hexavalent and quadrivalent osmium species are present in the glycogen. The presence of (heterocyclic) nitrogen compounds in such solutions stabilizes certain osmium valency species, and this may account for the contrast observed.