Treatment with lithium salts reduces ethanol dehydration shrinkage of glutaraldehyde fixed tissue.

Changes in the area of glutaraldehyde fixed 15 day p.c. mouse embryo limbs were recorded using a Quantimet 720 image analysing computer attached to a light microscope: during a period of treatment with an isotonic salt solution (mostly halides of the alkali or alkaline earth metals); a subsequent wash with distilled water; and dehydration through a 30, 50, 70, 80, 90, and 100% ethanol series. Pretreatment with NaCl, KCl, RbCl had no significant effect. Treatment with LiCl, LiNO3, LiF (0.03 M), CsF and CsCl caused an increase (relative to Na, K or Rb treated samples) in the specimen volume during dehydration, which persisted in 100% ethanol. Li treated samples showed the largest post-critical-point-drying (CPD) volumes, followed by Cs treated tissue. Pretreatment with Be, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba chlorides caused shrinkage and the 100% ethanol and post-CPD volumes of these samples were all lower than those treated with the monovalent cation containing salts.