Optimization of Techniques for the Preservation of Glycogen in Paraffin Embedded Mouse Liver

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the optimal fixation procedure for the preservation of glycogen in mouse liver specimens. Liver samples were obtained from fed C57BL/6J male mice and fixed in either 10% neutral buffered formalin (NBF), alcoholic formalin, 1% periodic acid in 10% NBF, or 100% ethyl alcohol. They were processed and embedded in paraffin or snap frozen in OCT embedding medium. These samples were sectioned and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid Schiff Reagent (PAS), and PAS after diastase-digestion. Frozen livers were sectioned and fixed in either alcoholic formalin, methanol, acetone, or formalin prior to staining.Superior glycogen preservation with optimal tissue morphology was obtained in samples fixed in 1% periodic acid in 10% NBF at 4°C for 48 hr, processed, and embedded in paraffin. This method preserved glycogen with minimal glycogen displacement artifacts and provided optimal tissue morphology. (The J Histotechnol 23:51, 2000)