METHOD FOR TREATING AND PROCESSING WHOLE CHICK-EMBRYOS FOR AUTORADIOGRAPHY, IMMUNOCYTOCHEMISTRY AND OTHER TECHNIQUES

A method is presented for in situ treatment of whole chick embryos wit h drugs and immunocytochemical and fixative reagents that resembles co nditions ''in ovo,'' The chick. embryo is placed in a ''shell-less'' c ulture system where it is contained by an agar ring allowing for treat ment in vivo, The conceptus (embryo + membranes) is then mounted on a microporous membrane and inserted into a filter device connected to a three-way stopcock that. permits fluids to be changed using syringes, The embryo is then processed in tote or after embedding and sectioning for light or electron microscopy, The proposed handling system decrea ses technical artifacts and changes fn the topographic microanatomy pr oduced by conventional manipulation of chick embryos, This method is u seful also for directly observing and recording changes in the embryo during drug treatments and allows processing with dangerous reagents w ithout their direct contact with the operator, It is simple, inexpensi ve and requires only minimal technical training.