[Victoria blue: staining properties in orthology and pathology]

The staining properties of the cationic dye Victoria Blue are summarized in consideration of the findings in the literature and own findings. Dependent on the staining conditions (with or without preoxidation of tissue sections), different structures and substances are stained by Victoria Blue. Without preoxidation elastic fibres, acid glycosaminoglycanes and DNA predominantly stained, but with preoxidation the dye stained insulin, some peptide hormones and secretion products, HBs-antigen, and lipofuscin. The chemism of the histochemical reaction is not quite understood yet.