1969 Volume 2 Issue 1 Pages 13-18
A 3% solution of potassium permanganate is effective at acid pH as a fixative for the small noradrenaline-containing granular vesicles of the symapthetic nervous system. The observed high electron density of the central granules in the vesicles is probably due to precipitated MnO2 which is reduced KMnO4 in a coupled oxidation of noradrenaline to noradrenochrome. A 3% solution of KMnO4 in dichromate buffer (pH 6.0) is particularly suitable for the fixation of the vesicles. This may be due to the additional precipitation of a chromic compound reduced from the dichromate.