The morphology of pial blood vessels of the frog, preserved by rapid freezing and freeze substitution

Vesicular profiles in endothelial cells of frog meninges were examined in tissues preserved by rapid freezing or conventional chemical fixation. Tissues were frozen immediately after removal from the animal or after remaining in Ringers for several hours. Vesicular profiles with an average diameter of 240 nm were present in the endothelial cells in all experimental groups, demonstrating that they are not an artifact of chemical fixation or incubation in vitro. However, their concentration and morphology varied with the different preservation techniques.