Correlateci light optical and scanning electron microscopy of Gram smears of bacteria and paraffin sections of cardiac muscle*

Abstract

Light-microscope slides ( 3 in. x 1 in.) bearing Gram smears of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathia, or Staphylococcus aureus, after preliminary examination under the light-optical microscope (LM), were cut down in size, glued onto specimen stubs, coated with gold and examined in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). These preparations served as a control for investigations into bacteria-cell junctions in tissue.Cover-slips from stained sections of staphylococcal or swine erysipelas endocarditis mounted on 3 in. x 1 in. microscope slides (which had been intensively studied previously with conventional light microscopy) were floated off by immersing the slides in xylol. After dehydration of the tissues on the slides, the preparations were treated similarly to the Gram smears, and were examined with the SEM. Lesions of endocarditis were thus examined, and the information gained from these preliminary examinations shed new light on the pathogenesis of the disease. This information had not previously been available by any other technique. Because of this, and in view of the simplicity of preparing sections for scanning electron microscopy, it is suggested that the SEM might be a useful tool to be applied to routine histological sections.

A comparative study in the transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope of intracellular structures in sheep heart muscle cells

“…Intracellular structures of muscle cells have previously been studied in sectioned and air-dried tissue of normal (Buss et al, 1971;Pachter et al, 1973;Poh et al, 1971) pathological material (Geissinger, 1971) and of cryofractured and freezedried muscles (Haggis, 1970). The information these works give about the cell organization, are limited due to the preparation techniques.…”

“…Several authors have since applied paraffin sections for studying the internal architecture of cells and tissues (Dalen et al, 1970;Geissinger, 1971;Herbst et al, 1972;Poh et al, 1971). As an alternative method Pachter et al (1973) have used thick sections of Epon-embedded muscle cells.…”

Scanning Electron Microscope Techniques in Biology

“…An SEM isolated from these facilities, particularly in biological research, would be difficult to use to its full potential. The addition of multiple microscope techniques yields a final output which is considerably greater than the sum of its parts and close cooperation between light microscopists, conventional electron microscopists and scanning electron microscope investigators (GEISSINGER, 1971;McALEAR et aI., 1967;MCCALLIS-TER and HADEK, 1970) is very desirable.…”

A simple method for exposing plastic embedded structures for scanning electron microscopy

“…Patcher et al (1973) examined the internal structure of muscle cells by eroding the surface of Epon sections with an iodineacetone solution. Paraffin sections have been prepared for scanning electron microscopy by removal of the embedding medium (McDonald et al, 1967;Geissinger, 1970). Epoxy sections have also been examined after removal of the embedding medium (Echlin, 1968).…”