Evaluation of the biological properties of a highly efficient tissue cell preservative / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the performance of a new highly efficient and environment-friendly tissue cell fixatives for preserving the morphologies and properties of pleural and peritoneal effusions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-six specimens of tissue cells from pleural and peritoneal effusions were preserved using the new preservative or 95% ethanol. HE staining and Western blotting were employed to detect the morphologies and protein expression levels of CK, CEA and P53 of the cells after fixation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The new preservative well preserved the morphologies of the cells from the pleural and peritoneal effusions, and the nuclei and cytoplasm were intact with little debris. The conventional preservative (95% ethanol) caused noticeable structural damage of the tissue cells, especially the cytoplasm where obvious debris were seen after fixation. CK, CEA and P53 protein expression levels in the cells were 91%, 86% and 88% after fixation with the new preservative, significantly higher than those (46%, 38% and 31%, respectively) in cells fixed with 95% ethanol (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The new preservative is efficient and environment-friendly for preserving the morphologies as well as the proteins of tissue cells from pleural and peritoneal effusions well, demonstrating its potential in tissue cell fixation and preservation.</p>