Summary
Variant amyloid types and, for comparison, growing cartilage were stained with alcian blue by different methods (alcian blue at controlled pH, critical electrolyte concentration method) and evaluated in the polarization microscope. Additionally, specific histochemical pretreatments were performed prior to staining and the effects to the alcian blue staining were studied. Amyloid and cartilage alcianophilic in light microscope showed a red color in polarized light. The studies revealed the existence of oriented arranged acid mucopolysaccharides in amyloid and cartilage responsible for the polarization optical phenomenon. In amyloid the arrangement of acid mucopolysaccharides perpendicular to the amyloid fiber axis is present very likely. The nature of the polarization optical phenomenon is discussed.
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Stiller, D., Katenkamp, D. Demonstration of orderly arranged acidic groups in amyloid by alcian blue. Histochemistry 39, 163–169 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00492045
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00492045