Durcupan^™ ACM

A water-soluble embedding medium for EM based on an aliphatic polyepoxide.

Durcupan^™ ACM, single component B, hardener 964 has been used for:

• Embedding material for electron microscopy.
• A method to prepare large resin sections for counting myelinated axons in rodent CNS and PNS structures.: This study presents a technique using Durcupan ACM for preparing large resin sections, enhancing the analysis of myelinated axons in rodent central and peripheral nervous systems.
• Three-dimensional immersive virtual reality for studying cellular compartments in 3D models from EM preparations of neural tissues.: This research utilizes Durcupan ACM in electron microscopy to create 3D models of neural tissues, facilitating studies via immersive virtual reality.
• Long-term effect of prazosin and losartan administration on blood pressure, heart, carotid artery, and acetylcholine induced dilation of cardiovascular system of young Wistar rats and SHR.: Explores the cardiovascular effects in rats using Durcupan ACM embedded samples for detailed tissue analysis.

Mixtures of Durcupan ACM present an interesting alternative to methacrylates for embedding sections for electron microscopy. They present the advantage that they harden uniformly, practically without shrinkage. All fixing agents normally used for electron microscopic work are also suitable for the Durcupan ACM embedding process. This process consists of three phases: dehydration of the tissue with acetone or ethyl alcohol, infiltration with the embedding agent, followed by hardening.

Durcupan is a trademark of Sigma-Aldrich Chemie GmbH