X-ray microanalysis of biological tissues--an examination of comparative specimen preparation techniques using prostatic tissue as a model.

A number of reproductive tissues have been investigated by X-ray microanalysis for a large number of elements. These elements occur both free and with many different forms of binding to tissue proteins and cellular constituents. The prostate tissue studied here represents a glandular tissue with both parenchymal and stromal components having different cell types. While no general rule can be applied to the preparative technique for all tissues, it would seem that of all the methods examined here freeze substitution or the use of dehydration fluids combined with subsequent embedding offer the most promising compromise between cryoultramicrotomy and aqueous fixation.