A cryoprotection method that facilitates cutting frozen sections of whole monkey brains for histological and histochemical processing without freezing artifact
Abstract
Cutting frozen sections of large (greater than 60 cc) blocks of monkey brain using the conventional procedures of infiltration with 30% sucrose as a cryoprotectant before freezing with pulverized dry ice often produces unacceptable levels of freezing artifact (FA) caused by displacement of tissue by ice crystals. Experiments investigating FA utilized perfusion-fixed brains from 46 monkeys and spanned combinations of cryoprotectants (glycerol, sucrose), freezing methods (dry ice or -75 degrees C isopentane), and fixatives (10% formalin, Karnovsky's or Timm's). The effects were evaluated by rating of FA severity in frozen sections of whole monkey brains. Minor FA appears as enlarged capillaries, more serious FA as large vacuoles, and both first appear midway between the periphery and center of the block. Stronger fixatives increased the severity of freezing artifact. The best method for eliminating FA was graded infiltration with up to 20% glycerol and 2% DMSO (in buffer or fixative), followed by rapid freezing in -75 degrees C isopentane. Although using a glycerol-DMSO infiltration before conventional freezing with pulverized dry ice or using conventional sucrose infiltration before freezing in isopentane gave better results tha...Continue Reading
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