Acridine orange

Stains
Acridine orange

Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.

Topic Completed: 1 August 2013

Minor changes: 26 August 2020

Copyright: 2003-2020, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: acridine orange[title]

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Table of Contents

Definition / general | Uses by pathologists | Microscopic (histologic) images

Cite this page: Pernick N. Acridine orange. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainsacridine.html. Accessed September 20th, 2020.

Definition / general

Nucleic acid, selective fluorescent cationic dye useful for cell cycle determination (Wikipedia)
Cell-permeable, interacts with DNA by intercalation and with RNA by electrostatic attraction
Accumulates in intracellular acidic vesicles, especially lysosomes, in an acidity-dependent manner; anti-tumor effect due to its marked and prolonged accumulation in acidic lysosomes of cancer cells (Curr Pharm Des 2012;18:1414)

Uses by pathologists

For diagnosis in exfoliative cytology of bladder carcinoma (Int Urol Nephrol 2012;44:1375), oral cavity carcinoma (Indian J Dent Res 2011;22:649)
Part of photodynamic therapy to treat musculoskeletal sarcoma and spare normal surrounding tissue (Clin Orthop Relat Res 2013;471:792, J Bone Joint Surg Br 2010;92:760)
To identify small numbers of bacteria and microorganisms under fluorescent light, including mycobacteria (Indian J Pathol Microbiol 2010;53:894) and malaria parasites (Ann Trop Med Parasitol 2002;96:643)
In fertility testing, is part of sperm chromatin structural assay, which reflects sperm chromatin denaturation (J Assist Reprod Genet 2009;26:591)
To determine gender by examining Barr bodies in buccal smears (J Forensic Dent Sci 2012;4:66)
To identify engulfed apoptotic cells, because it fluoresences upon engulfment