Histochemical 1,2-Glycol Cleavage with Acetates of Manganese

Both manganic triacetate and tetraacetate will act to split the 1,2-glycol linkage to produce aldehyde radicals which may be demonstrated with either leucofushsin or hydrazine compounds. Thirty to sixty minutes oxidation in a saturated glacial acetic acid solution of either acetate will usually be sufficient to produce satisfactory histochemical localization of the 1,2-glycol linkage. The tetraacetate is the more reliable of the two compounds, giving good localizations more constantly than the triacetate. Present studies indicate that the histological picture after such staining is identical with the localizations given by lead tetraacetate. The principle value of these reagents in glycol cleavage is essentially academic although, since their mechanism of cleavage is believed to differ from the established periodic acid and lead tetraacetate technics, there is the probability that they may be of value in comparisons between the two types of reaction.