Abstract
USE of unfixed frozen sections is confined to enzymes extremely sensitive to denaturation such as the dehydrogenases. Most authors on the subject state or imply that the method introduces the disadvantages of (1) mechanical disruption by freezing and thawing, (2) reduction in quality of tissue detail, (3) uneven section thickness, (4) diffusion of soluble enzymes and co-factors leading to loss of reproducibility and false localization, and (5) inability to cut serial sections1–6. These disadvantages are said to outweigh the advantages of high specificity and activity, and simplicity of preparation. The alternative method of briefly fixing sections overcomes many of these disadvantages at the expense of possible alteration in specificity and activity.
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WYLLIE, R. Fixation in Enzyme Histochemistry. Nature 207, 93–94 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1038/207093a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/207093a0
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