[The histochemical use of alcian green].

With the hydrochloric acid-alcoholic solution of alcian green, without any pretreatment both the sulfated and the carboxylated proteoglycans can be demonstrated. After an indirect sulfation (periodic acid-bisulfite pretreatment), the glycogen and the glycoproteins, and after an oxidation with acidified potassium permanganate, the high cystine-containing proteins can also be stained. As a counterstain, a picric acid-Sirius red solution has proved good.