An Embedding Technique for Electron Microscopy Using Epon 812

E p o x y resins h a v e been es tab l i shed as des i rab le e m b e d d i n g m e d i a for e lec t ron m i c r o s c o p y (1-5) . F inck (6) desc r ibed a n epoxy resin, E P O N 812 (Shell) t , w h i c h in a d d i t i o n to its o t he r des i rab le charac te r i s t ics , is also a p p r e c i a b l y misc ib le w i th wate r . H e no t ed t h a t p r o l o n g e d a lcohol d e h y d r a t ion was no t necessa ry because of the wa t e r solubi l i ty of E P O N 812. W e , therefore , cons ide red subs t i t u t i on o f E P O N 812 for a lcohol . S u c h a p ro c edu re u ;ould be h i gh l y des i rab le for app l i c a t i on of e lec t ron m i c r o s c o p y to h i s t o c h e m i c a l inves t iga t ion in w h i c h d e h y d r a t i o n by o rgan i c so lvents m a y resu l t in cons ide rab le r e m o v a l of l ipid a n d l ip idso luble m a t e r i a l f r om the tissue. Th i s r epo r t descr ibes a t e c h n i q u e for e lec t ron mic ro scopy in w h i c h E P O N 812 was e m p l o y e d to d e h y d r a t e and e m b e d the tissue.