Influence of fixation on the lectin binding sites in the rabbit salivary glands.

In order to verify the influence of fixative on the formation of any nonspecific lectin bindings, the authors have carried out an investigation on rabbit salivary glands. The results obtained applying peanut, soybean, wheat germ, and winged pea lectins to unfixed samples of rabbit submandibular and sublingual glands agreed almost completely with the results of our previous research effected on the same samples fixed with aldehydes. The most important differences between the fixed samples and the unfixed ones consisted in the lack of reactivity of the material inside the secretion lumina to all the lectins used, and in the lack of peanut binding to the submandibular gland. No significant differences in intensity and location were found for soybean, wheat germ, and winged pea lectins.