A universal post-embedding protocol for immunogold labelling of osmium-fixed, epoxy resin-embedded tissue.

The authors have found that double etching of epoxy-embedded, ultrathin sections with 3% sodium metaperiodate rendered epitope expression comparable to that obtained with either saturated or half-saturated sodium metaperiodate solutions. In contrast to either of the two more concentrated oxidizing solutions, double etching with 3% sodium metaperiodate neither bleached the specimens nor generated holes in the plastic resin.