Peter Poon wrote:

> 1.) Does the time you leave a tissue in the solution series of alcohols
> affect the shrinkage at all?

Yes, the alcohol will extract more than just water, the more time in alcohols,
the more extraction of cytoplasmic components.

> 2.) What is the least amount of shrinkage that anyone has gotten for mouse
> brain tissue?

I have no idea. Probably varies with fixative, dehydrating agent, time, age of
the animal (fetal tissue has a mind of its own),  etc.

> 3.)Does the type of alcohol used have any affect on shrinkage?

Probably, but I have no specifics.

Until John Kiernan weighs in on these questions you might consult:

Hillman and Deutsch, J. Microscopy 114:77-84, 1978. Area changes in slices of
rat brain during preparation for histology or electron microscopy.

Bahr et al., Exp. Cell Res. 12:342-355, 1957. Volume changes of tissues in
physiological fluids during fixation in osmium tetroxide or formaldehyde and
during subsequent treatment.

If you are really worried about shrinkage, why not frozen sections? Or do the
experiments and write up the results.

Geoff
--
**********************************************
Geoff McAuliffe, Ph.D.
Neuroscience and Cell Biology
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
675 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854
voice: (732)-235-4583; fax: -4029
mcauliff@umdnj.edu
**********************************************