In vitro labeling receptor autoradiography: loss of label during ethanol dehydration and preparative procedures.

Slide-mounted tissue sections of brain were incubated with several reversibly binding [3H]ligands to label receptors. Exposure of these labeled, mounted tissue sections to ethanol solutions for dehydration resulted in a substantial loss of receptor bound ligands in all cases, even when the tissues were fixed with formaldehyde vapors before exposure. Thus, serious problems can be introduced into in vitro labeling autoradiographic procedures by exposure of sections to aqueous or organic media.