Target and Chemical Fixative Do's and Don'ts
| Target | Fixative of Choice | Fixative to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Proteins | Neutral Buffered Formalin, Paraformaldehyde | Osmium Tetroxide |
| Enzymes | Frozen Sections | Chemical Fixatives |
| Lipids | Frozen Sections*, Glutaraldehyde/Osmium Tetroxide | Alcoholic fixatives, Neutral Buffered Formalin |
| Nucleic Acids | Alcoholic fixatives, HOPE | Aldehyde fixatives |
| Mucopolysaccharides | Frozen Sections | Chemical fixatives |
| Biogenic Amines | Bouin Solution~, Neutral Buffered Formalin | |
| Glycogen | Alcoholic based fixatives | Osmium Tetroxide |
- Frozen Sections preserve RNA and Lipids despite poor morphology. Compare to Paraffin sections, synonymous to Chemical Fixatives in the table, which destroy RNA and affect some antigens BUT give good morphology.
~ A picrate
Read more about this topic: Fixation (histology)
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