Methods and results of testing "low acid" glycol methacrylate (GMA) for light microscopic cytochemistry

Four samples of "low acid" and one sample of "technical grade" glycol methacrylate from three commercial sources were compared for their suitability in light microscopic cytochemistry. The "technical grade" was found unacceptable, but the four "low acid" products were found to be essentially the same in terms of water and ethanol miscibility, pH, polymerization time, sectioning qualities, and lack of background staining with methylene blue.