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Observations on the basophilia of amyloids

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Summary

Uptake of Alcian Blue by amyloids in various human tissues was usually negligible in paraffin sections stained at pH 2.6, but was considerable in sections stained at pH 5.7 in magnesium chloride. Amyloids took up toluidine blue at pH 5.7 and were then birefringent in polarised light.

The “critical electrolyte concentratons” in magnesium chloride at pH 5.7 at which Alcian blue ceased to stain indicate that the polyanion(s) of amyloids contain both ester sulfate and non-ester sulfate ionic groups, presumably carboxyls. Other evidence supports this interpretation. The “critical electrolyte concentration” pattern is more compatible with the presence of heparitin sulphate than with any other sulphated polysaccharide. The presence of sialoprotein is not excluded.

Masking of polyanions in amyloids suggests strongly that a polycation, probably a protein, is present. The behaviour of a series of polyanion-polycation complexes in a range of pH and salt concentrations has been studied.

Congo red, an acid dye, stained polycations under the conditions used to stain amyloids. It is proposed that amyloids contain insoluble complexes formed by the interaction of protein with polyanion; in this case of a carbohydrate nature, and usually sulfated.

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Supported in part by Research Grants A-937 and DE-02110 from the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, Bethesda, Maryland.

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Mowry, R.W., Scott, J.E. Observations on the basophilia of amyloids. Histochemie 10, 8–32 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00304372

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