How to examine the antigen-damaging effect of sodium ethoxide on deplasticized epoxy sections

Heat-induced Antigen Retrieval in Conventionally Processed Epon-embedded Specimens: Procedures and Mechanisms

We studied the effectiveness of heat-induced antigen retrieval (HIAR) in conventionally processed, epon-embedded specimens and the mechanisms of HIAR in the specimens. Frozen sections were first immunostained to examine the possibility of using HIAR for 18 antigens to avoid the effects of epoxy resin embedment. The antigenicity of 7 out of 18 antigens was retrieved with glutaraldehyde fixation followed by osmium tetroxide treatment whereas none were retrieved with glutaraldehyde fixation without post-osmication. Six antigens also exhibited positive immunostaining in semi-thin epon sections when the sections were deplasticized with sodium ethoxide followed by autoclaving. In the immunoelectron microscopy with the post-embedding method, positive reactions with fine ultrastructures were obtained using HIAR without deplasticization. These results suggested that osmium tetroxide binds to ethylene double bonds (which are introduced into protein crosslinks by glutaraldehyde) and forms an extremely stable resonance interaction with the Schiff bases, thus destabilizing the protein crosslinks. Heating also further degrades these crosslinks. The present study demonstrated that archival epon blocks can be useful resources for immunohistochemical studies for both light and electron microscopy.

Concanavalin-A induces granulosa cell death and inhibits FSH-mediated follicular growth and ovarian maturation in female rats

Reproductive success stems from a finely regulated balance between follicular maturation and atresia, in which the role of carbohydrate structure is poorly understood. Here, we describe for the first time a fraction of purified recombinant human FSH that is capable of bringing about the cell death of granulosa cells and preventing follicular maturation in a rat model. Further analysis by mass spectrometry revealed the presence of the lectin Concanavalin-A (Con-A) within this fraction of recombinant FSH. Using both the fractionated FSH and Con-A, the observed cell death was predominantly located to the granulosa cells. Ex vivo culture of rat follicles demonstrated that follicle degeneration occurred and resulted in the release of a denuded and deteriorated oocyte. Moreover, in vivo experiments confirmed an increase in atresia and a corresponding reduction confined to follicle in early antral stage. As a mechanism of action, Con-A reduces ovarian proliferation, Von Willebrand staining, and angiogenesis. Based on the observation that Con-A may induce granulosa cell death followed by follicle death, our results further demonstrate that follicular carbohydrate moiety is changing under the influence of FSH, which may allow a carbohydrate-binding lectin to increase granulosa cell death. The physiological consequences of circulating lectin-like molecules remain to be determined. However, our results suggest a potential exploitation of carbohydrate binding in fertility and ovarian cancer treatment. This work may shed light on a key role of carbohydrates in the still obscure physiological process of follicular selection and atresia.

Quantum dot immunocytochemical localization of somatostatin in somatostatinoma by Widefield Epifluorescence, super-resolution light, and immunoelectron microscopy

Quantum dot nanocrystal probes (QDs) have been used for detection of somatostatin hormone in secretory granules of somatostatinoma tumor cells by immunofluorescence light microscopy, super-resolution light microscopy, and immunoelectron microscopy. Immunostaining for all modalities was done using sections taken from an epoxy resin-embedded tissue specimen and a similar labeling protocol. This approach allowed assessment of labeling at light microscopy level before examination at super-resolution and electron microscopy level and was a significant aid in interpretation. Etching of ultrathin sections with saturated sodium metaperiodate was a critical step presumably able to retrieve some tissue antigenicity masked by processing in epoxy resin. Immunofluorescence microscopy of QD-immunolabeled sections showed somatostatin hormone localization in cytoplasmic granules. Some variable staining of tumor gland-like structures appeared related to granule maturity and dispersal of granule contents within the tumor cell cytoplasm. Super-resolution light microscopy demonstrated localization of somatostatin within individual secretory granules to be heterogeneous, and this staining pattern was confirmed by immunoelectron microscopy.

Assessment of intraparticle biocatalytic distributions as a tool in rational formulation

Research has shown that the intraparticle biocatalytic distribution has extensive effects on the properties of various (industrial) biocatalytic particles and their performance in (bio-) chemical reactions. In recent years, advances in molecular chemistry have led to the development of many different specific (immuno-) labeling and light-microscopic detection techniques. Furthermore, high-quality image-digitizing devices and enhanced computing power have made image analysis readily accessible. These technologies may lead to the assessment and improvement of the internal biocatalyst profile as an integral part of biocatalytic particle optimization.

Comparison of the immunolabeling of heated and deplasticized epoxy sections on the electron microscopical level

The purpose of this study was to compare the yield of immunogold labeling of heated epoxy sections with the yield of labeling of deplasticized epoxy sections, and to compare the immunolabeling of deplasticized high-accelerator epoxy sections and deplasticized low-accelerator epoxy sections. Renal swine tissue and human thyroid tissue were embedded in both high- and low-accelerator epoxy resin and also in LR-White resin. Immunogold labeling was performed on deplasticized (ethoxide-treated), heated and non-treated ultrathin sections from these specimens. The renal tissue was immunolabeled with anti-IgG, and the thyroid tissue was immunolabeled with anti-thyroglobulin. The ethoxide treatment of the epoxy sections induced complete deplasticizing. The immunogold labeling with anti-IgG on deplasticized epoxy sections of renal tissue demonstrated significantly more intense immunolabeling of immune complex deposits than the corresponding epoxy sections which were exposed to heat in citrate buffer. The results for labeling areas of thyroglobulin substance with anti-thyroglobulin showed no significant differences between deplasticized and heated epoxy sections, probably because the sodium ethoxide partly destroys the antigenicity. Deplasticized high-accelerator epoxy sections showed significantly higher yield of immunolabeling than deplasticized low-accelerator epoxy sections and LR-White sections both for anti-IgG and anti-thyroglobulin. This can be explained by the reduced tendency for the knife to cleave proteins when cutting high-accelerator epoxy sections. High-accelerator epoxy sections which were exposed to heat in citrate buffer were more intensely immunolabeled than similarly treated low-accelerator epoxy sections, in agreement with previous results. The ultrastructural preservation of the tissues of deplasticized epoxy sections was inferior compared with the other sections. This study shows that the choice between deplasticizing technique or heating of epoxy sections has to be considered with respect to the nature of the antigen and to the requirement for ultrastructural preservation.

The combination of high-accelerator epoxy resin and antigen retrieval to obtain more intense immunolabeling on epoxy sections than on LR-white sections for large proteins

The purpose of this study was to examine how antigen retrieval affected the yield of immunogold labeling on epoxy sections based on embedding with different amounts of accelerator. The concentration of accelerator DMP-30 (tri(dimethyl amino methyl) phenol) was varied in the range of 0-8% in the processing of the tissue for epoxy embedding. Immunogold labeling was performed on epoxy sections and LR-White sections of fibrin clots and renal tissue with IgG-deposits, and the antibodies used were anti-fibrinogen anti-IgG and, respectively. For some of the sections antigen retrieval was performed by heating the sections in citrate buffer. In all cases, the yield of immunogold labeling increased following antigen retrieval. The increase (%) in the yield of immunogold labeling as a result of antigen retrieval was larger for epoxy sections than for LR-White sections. The immunolabeling on high-accelerator epoxy sections exposed to antigen retrieval was about 20% more intense than on untreated LR-White sections both for IgG and fibrinogen. In addition to breaking fixations bonds introduced by the chemical fixation, we believe that the antigen retrieval also breaks bonds between the epoxy resin and the embedded tissue. The combination of increased amount of accelerator during tissue processing for epoxy embedding and antigen retrieval by heating in citrate buffer is a potent method for increasing specific immunolabeling on epoxy sections.