Study of the lysosomes by vital stains in normal keratocytes and in keratocytes from macular dystrophy of the cornea.

The acridine orange is an excellent vital stain for the "in vivo" study of the lysosomal dynamics in cultured keratocytes. In normal keratocytes the lysosomes are mostly grouped around one or both nucleus poles. In keratocytes from macular dystrophy of the cornea there is a hypertrophy of the lysosomal system, which in vain tends to compensate for the consequences of the enzymatic deficiency.