Abstract
Effect of tissue fixation for the histochemical identification of individual acid mucopolysaccharides was investigated by the application of the critical electrolyte concentration concept. Materials used were cock's comb, the femur-tibial joint and costal cartilage of rat, and human umbilical cords. As fixatives, neutral formalin, CPC-formalin and Carney's fluid were employed. Model experiments were performed with pure acid mucopolysaccharides. The pattern of the critical electrolyte concentration of each acid mucopolysaccharide in the non-fixed sections bore a close parallel to that in the model experiments. However, there was difference between the non-fixed and the fixed sections concerning the critical electrolyte concentration of each acid mucopolysaccharide. After peptic digestion, the pattern of the critical electrolyte concentration in the fixed sections was similar to that in the non-fixed sections.
