Ultrastructure of hypertrophic cartilage: histochemical procedures compared with high pressure freezing and freeze substitution.

The effect of cationic dyes on the ultrastructure of hypertrophic cartilage was compared with results obtained with modern cryotechniques in studies on rat epiphyseal growth plate. Addition of alcian blue, acridine orange, cupromeronic blue, ruthenium hexamine trichloride, ruthenium red, or safranin O to conventional glutaraldehyde/osmium tetroxide fixatives to a large extent resulted in prevention of chondrocyte shrinkage except for alcian blue which showed poor tissue penetration. The fine structure of the matrix in pericellular and territorial compartments appeared very coarse with areas of high contrast in tissue exposed to fixatives containing cationic dyes. This indicates structural collapse and precipitation of electron-dense material, a pattern clearly differing from that observed in specimens prepared by the cryotechniques. The dyes giving a pattern most similar to that seen after high pressure freezing, freeze substitution, and low temperature embedding were acridine orange and safranin O. It is concluded that studies of matrix ultrastructure down to the molecular level necessitate the application of cryotechniques.