[Histonet] Alcian Green Dye for Attwood stain

[John Kiernan]

Alcian green was a mixture of two cationic "Ingrain" dyes: one of ICI's alcian blues (a copper phthalocyanine) and their alcian yellow (CI 12840, a monoazo dye). ICI stopped making these dyes, which were a commercial flop, in the early 1970s. It's extremely unlikely that anything now sold as "alcian green" will be the genuine article. The original "Alcian blue" dyes were unstable even as powders.

The staining procedure published by HD Attwood in J. Path. Bact. 76:211 (1958) has to be seen as an oddity from the days when carbohydrate histochemistry was still in its infancy. Any textbook published since the 1970s will provide very simple and rational staining techniques for showing cartilage matrix (basophilic) and keratin (acidophilic) in contrasting colours.

John Kiernan
London, Canada
= = =

To: 'histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu' <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu>

Subject: [Histonet] Alcian Green Dye for Attwood stain

Hi All,

I could use some assistance.  I'm gotten a request to do an Attwood stain for squames and cartilage and I'm having a difficult time finding the Alcian Green 2GX dye powder or even a kit if one exists.  Another question is the protocol that I've seen from Histonet archives states that you dilute the phloxine in cellosolve.  I would just like to ask if anyone has another version of the protocol with any updates to the protocol?

Thanks in advance.

Debbie Siena
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________________________________
From: Debra Siena via Histonet <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: April 5, 2023 2:47 PM
To: 'histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu' <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Subject: [Histonet] Alcian Green Dye for Attwood stain

Hi All,

I could use some assistance.  I'm gotten a request to do an Attwood stain for squames and cartilage and I'm having a difficult time finding the Alcian Green 2GX dye powder or even a kit if one exists.  Another question is the protocol that I've seen from Histonet archives states that you dilute the phloxine in cellosolve.  I would just like to ask if anyone has another version of the protocol with any updates to the protocol?

Thanks in advance.

Debbie Siena





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