7/17/97

I'm looking for some information or references on decalcifying with

ascorbic acid versus EDTA for TEM samples.

Thanks in advance!

Lesley Bechtold

lsb@aretha.jax.org

I tested EDTA versus Chromium Potossium Sulphate and found the latter much

better for ultrastructural preservation (I was looking at

bone-lining-cells) as long as the pieces of bone were tiny and the decalc

short (few days) I have the original reference somewhere around if a

medline search doesn't do the trick. Dunno about ascorbic acid as I

didn't try that.

Amanda

Miss A.J.Wilson

Electron Microscope Unit

St George's Hospital Medical School

Cranmer Terrace

Tooting London SW17 ORE

Tel: 0181 725 5220

awilson@sghms.ac.uk

awilson@aw.u-net.com

usually follow a conventional EDTA decal. route, we also sometimes

apply a little EDTA to the block face (having embedded in LR White)

to decal. "in situ" while sectioning. This alternative seems to

work, but as we are using diamond knives it may be purely

psychological! I have never seen it written up.

Best wishes, Paul

Dr Paul V. Hatton

Lecturer in Biomaterials

School of Clinical Dentistry

University of Sheffield

Claremont Crescent

SHEFFIELD S10 2TA

Tel. (0114) 271 7938

Fax. (0114) 2665326

or 2797050

I've seen someone use this technique to decalcify and section

tissue in epon years ago. It worked fine. I also don't know where any

written info can be found about it.

By epon, I mean specifically medcast from Ted Pella Inc., I

understand this particular media has been discontinued, but I don't think

the EDTA decalcification is limited by the media. It only decalcified a

few mm-s of surface tissue.

Karen Pawlowski

Lab Tech

UT Southwestern Med. Ctr.

Student/ UT Dallas