Acridine Orange

Product information

Acridine Orange is intended for use in staining for Trichomonas vaginalis, yeast and other bacteria in vaginal smears.  The stain itself is a fluorochrome (or a fluorescent stain) which causes DNA and RNA to fluoresce green and orange respectively.  The standard staining method is as follows:

i) Prepare the smear of material to be examined. Allow to air dry and fix in Methanol for 1 minute.
ii) Apply Acridine Orange for 10 seconds.
iii) Remove excess stain by rinsing the slide in water. Shake off any excess.
iv) Decolourise in an alcohol/saline* solution for 10 seconds.
v) Rinse the slide in a saline solution (0.85% Sodium Chloride aqueous solution).
vi) Mount in a saline solution (0.85% Sodium Chloride aqueous solution) and apply a coverslip.
vii) Examine wet mounts under the fluorescent microscope using objective x 40.

* 250 ml of alcohol/saline solution:
5 ml IMS 99
245 ml Deionised water
2 g Sodium Chloride  

When the Acridine Orange staining procedure is performed correctly the results should read as follows:
Trichomonas vaginalis                                 Orange-red with yellow green nuclei
Yeast cells                                                      Orange
Bacteria                                                          Orange
Leucocytes                                                     Yellow-green
Epithelial cells                                               Yellow-green

Control Results
C. albicans should appear as orange-golden coloured cells which stand out against a dark background.