Effects of fixation and postfixation treatments on volume of injured cells;

The effects of fixation with glutaraldehyde (GA), formaldehyde (FA), glutaraldehyde-formaldehyde (GA-FA), flutaraldehyde-osmium tetroxide (GA-Os04) and osmium tetroxide (OsO4) on cel volume were studied in control, p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonic acid (PCMBS)-treated and hypotonically-treated Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. Among the variables investigated were concentration of the tixative agent, osmolity of the buffer, total osmolaity of the fixation solution, osmolaltity of the postfixation buffer and the time of fixation and postfixation treatment; in addition, the effects of adding calcium and high molecular weight compounds to the fixative solution were studied. When the effects of standard fixatives on control, PCMBS- and hypotonically-treated cells were compared, marked differences were apparent in the behavior of control and injured cells. Control cells retained near prefixation volume in 3% GA and 3% GA-1% OsO4, swelled in 4% FA or 1% OsO4 and phosphate buffer (tkrp), whereas tpcmbs (310 mosM KRP)- and hypotonically-treated cells (103 mos M KRP) shrank in all aldehyde fixatives but swelled in 1% OsO4. Reducing the buffer osmolality had similar effects on control and injured cells although, there were variations in degree...