[Histotopochemical investigations on elastic membranes of blood vessels with special regard to diabetes mellitus. II. Carbohydrates (author's transl)].

Investigations on carbonhydrates were carried out with special regard to acid mucopolysaccharides and glycogen. The fluorescence-microscopical proof of acid micropolysaccharides with acridinorange (pH=3,3) and by means of the pseudoisocyanin-reaction (proof of-SO3H-groups) gave positive results on elastic membranes of blood vessels. These results were correlating to the increase of the diabetes mellitus. Healthy Wistar-rats did not show metachromasia with toluidinblue in the walls of the blood vessels, whereas in streptozotocin-diabetes there was strong metachromasia shown by these structures. The stages of diabetes in man were also correlated to an increase of metachromasia. The PAS-reaction, the staining with Best's carmine and the reaction with alizarinblue S for the proof of glycogen were positive in all blood vessels investigated.