title: Alcianblue/PAS or PAS/alcianblue? Remarks on a classical technic used in carbohydrate histochemistry.
abstract: The combined alcian blue (AB)/PAS technic is widely used for the detection and characterization of mucosubstances in tissue sections. Mostly the sequence AB/PAS is used, occasionally also the reserved sequence PAS/AB. The present study shows clearly that the sequence of the combined technic, i.e. AB/PAS or PAS/AB is substantially influencing the results. So it could be demonstrated that by using the combination PAS/AB originally PAS-positive and AB-negative reacting mucosubstances become AB-positive. This could be caused by periodic acid oxidation followed by addition of hydrogen sulfite to aldehyde group thus providing secondary basophilic resp. AB positive material.
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D000423:Alcian Blue; D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006224:Cricetinae; D004386:Duodenum / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007211:Indoles; D010503:Periodic Acid-Schiff Reaction; D051381:Rats; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D013270:Stomach / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007211:Indoles; D000423:Alcian Blue