A Mixture of Paraphenylenediamine and Imidazole: Its Effect on the Extraction of Lipid Droplets during Electron Microscopy Staining

Abstract

To prevent extraction of lipids during a double staining procedure for electron microscopy, the tissue slices, double fixed with glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide to preserve microvesicular lipid droplets in the cytoplasm, were immersed for 2 hr in veronal buffer (pH 9.0) containing 0.5% p-phenylenediamine and 0.5% imidazole immediately after postfixation. The stained sections of the immersed tissue slice showed blackened, well circumscribed lipid droplets similar to those in corresponding unstained sections. Moreover, highly contrasting features of the cellular architecture could be visualized with the double stained, as well as routinely prepared sections.

Key Words:

• p-phenylenediamine
• imidazole
• lipid droplet
• electron microscopy staining
• lipid extraction