<title>Investigation of formalin influence over hard and soft biological tissues fluorescent spectra in vitro</title>

Abstract

In order to investigate the formalin influence over fluorescence properties of hard and soft biological tissues during conservation, emission spectra have been registered. Nitrogen laser at 337 nm and light-emitting diode with maximum at 405 nm have been used as excitation sources. For investigation of formalin influence over hard tissues, an experiment was made on teeth samples. Sound teeth were demineralized with a phosphoric acid for 10 seconds to obtain enamel structure near to the tooth lesion, and were fixed in formalin. Before and after teeth treatment spectra from the areas of interest were detected. There were not observed changes in the shape of the teeth spectra, related to the introduction of formalin fluorescence. Samples from mucosa of esophagus and stomach, where initially an ALA/Protoporphyrin IX diagnosis was applied, were used as soft tissue specimens. After fluorescent diagnosis in vivo biopsy samples were obtained from normal and cancerous areas and were conserved in formalin. Initially, spectrum observed has one autofluorescence maximum from the mucous tissue at 500-600 nm and secondary maxima from the protoporphyrin fluorescence at 635 nm and 720 nm, as well as pronounced minima at 540 and 575 nm related to hemoglobin absorption. After formalin conservation hemoglobin absorption was strongly reduced that increases mucous emission signal in green-yellow spectral region. Simultaneously the maxima at 635 nm and 720 nm were reduced. As conclusion we could say that formalin has negligible influence over fluorescence spectra of conserved hard tissues and has more pronounced influence over fluorescence spectra obtained in the case of soft tissue conservation, which has to be taking into account in measurements in vitro.