Comparison of fluorescein and rose bengal staining.

The authors have recently reported that rose bengal is not a vital dye, and stains whenever the cultured cells are not covered by such components as albumin and mucin, and such a tear substitute as carboxycellulose. In this report, using cultured cells as well as normal rabbit corneas, they characterize and correlate the staining differences between rose bengal and fluorescein with the differences in their chemical structures. Fluorescein differs from rose bengal in its lack of intrinsic toxicity, photodynamic action, and ability to be blocked by the above-mentioned substances. Fluorescein staining is increased by rapid stromal diffusion and hence can manifest whenever there is disruption of cell-cell junctions. In contrast, rose bengal staining ensues whenever there is deficiency of preocular tear film protection. These experimental data may help interpret the clinical staining properties of these two dyes and enhance the understanding of the pathogenesis of various ocular surface disorders.

[1]  M. Norn.  ROSE BENGAL VITAL STAINING , 1970 .

[2]  E. Romanowski,et al.  The antiviral effects of rose bengal and fluorescein. , 1987, Archives of ophthalmology.

[3]  T. Dahl,et al.  COMPARISON OF PHOTODYNAMIC ACTION BY ROSE BENGAL IN GRAM‐POSITIVE AND GRAM‐NEGATIVE BACTERIA , 1988, Photochemistry and photobiology.

[4]  M. Norn.  DEAD, DEGENERATE, AND LIVING CELLS IN CONJUNCTIVAL FLUID AND MUCOUS THREAD , 1969, Acta ophthalmologica.

[5]  F. M. Wilson.  Rose bengal staining of epibulbar squamous neoplasms. , 1976, Ophthalmic surgery.

[6]  T. D. Duane,et al.  Duane's Clinical Ophthalmology , 1993 .

[7]  K. Green,et al.  Photodynamically induced alteration of cornea endothelial cell function. , 1979, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[8]  D. Maurice,et al.  Staining of the conjunctiva and conjunctival tear film. , 1990, The British journal of ophthalmology.

[9]  S. Tseng,et al.  Photothrombosis of corneal neovascularization by intravenous rose bengal and argon laser irradiation. , 1988, Archives of ophthalmology.

[10]  M. Norn.  VITAL STAINING OF EXTERNAL EYE OF RABBIT. by Fluorescein, Rose bengal, Tetrazolium, and Alcian Blue , 1980 .

[11]  D. Neckers,et al.  Photophysical properties of rose bengal and its derivatives (XII). , 1985, Journal of free radicals in biology & medicine.

[12]  P. Ehrlich.  Ueber die Methylenblaureaction der lebenden Nervensubstanz , 1886 .

[13]  J. Prause,et al.  Sjögren's Syndrome , 1981, Allergy.

[14]  S. Tseng,et al.  Substrate modulation of cultured rabbit conjunctival epithelial cell differentiation and morphology. , 1988, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[15]  D. Valenzeno,et al.  PHOTOMODIFICATION OF BIOLOGICAL MEMBRANES WITH EMPHASIS ON SINGLET OXYGEN MECHANISMS , 1987, Photochemistry and photobiology.

[16]  J. J. Bunim,et al.  SJÖGREN'S SYNDROME: A Clinical, Pathological, and Serological Study of Sixty-two Cases , 1965, Medicine.

[17]  M. Sears,et al.  Aqueous flow in human eyes is reduced by forskolin, a potent adenylate cyclase activator. , 1984, Experimental eye research.

[18]  M. Norn,et al.  DESICCATION OF THE PRECORNEAL FILM , 1969, Acta ophthalmologica.

[19]  J. Tiedeman,et al.  A new method for vascular occlusion. Photochemical initiation of thrombosis. , 1987, Archives of ophthalmology.

[20]  J. Mcgill,et al.  Herpetic corneal epithelial disease. , 1976, Archives of ophthalmology.

[21]  O. P. Bijsterveld,et al.  Diagnostic Tests in the Sicca Syndrome , 1969 .

[22]  I. Menon,et al.  A study on the sequence of phototoxic effects of rose bengal using retinal pigment epithelial cells in vitro. , 1989, Experimental eye research.

[23]  R. K. Lansche.  VITAL STAINING IN NORMAL EYES AND IN KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS SICCA. , 1965, Transactions of the Pacific Coast Oto-Ophthalmological Society annual meeting.

[24]  M. Norn,et al.  VITAL STAINING OF CORNEA AND CONJUNCTIVA , 1962, Acta ophthalmologica.

[25]  J. Grove,et al.  Effects of acetylcysteine on rabbit conjunctival and corneal surfaces. A scanning electron microscopy study. , 1991, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[26]  J. H. King,et al.  Vital staining of conjunctiva and cornea; review of literature and critical study of certain dyes. , 1955, A.M.A. archives of ophthalmology.

[27]  H. Forster.  Rose bengal test in diagnosis of deficient tear formation. , 1951, A.M.A. archives of ophthalmology.

[28]  C. A. Adler,et al.  The effect of viscosity of the vehicle on the penetration of fluorescein into the human eye. , 1971, Experimental eye research.

[29]  W. Bourne,et al.  The Clinical Measurement of Endothelial Permeability , 1988, Cornea.

[30]  Norn Ms.  Vital staining of cornea and conjunctiva. Fluorescein-rose bengal mixture and tetrazolium-alcian blue mixture. , 1972 .

[31]  Janet Stone,et al.  Soft and advanced lens fitting techniques and post-fitting care , 1981 .

[32]  K. O'Day.  BENGAL ROSE AS AN AID IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF “KERATO‐CONJUNCTIVITIS SICCA”; (SJÖGREN'S SYNDROME) , 1951, The Medical journal of Australia.

[33]  M. Norn.  SPECIFIC DOUBLE VITAL STAINING OF THE CORNEA AND CONJUNCTIVA WITH ROSE BENGAL AND ALCIAN BLUE , 1964, Acta ophthalmologica.

[34]  R. Busto,et al.  Induction of reproducible brain infarction by photochemically initiated thrombosis , 1985, Annals of neurology.

[35]  H. Sjogren.  Zur Kenntnis der Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (Keratitis filiformis bei Hypofunktion der Tranendrusen) , 1933 .

[36]  R. Bone,et al.  Primary Sjogren syndrome: clinical and immunopathologic features. , 1984, Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism.

[37]  N. Burstein,et al.  Preservative alteration of corneal permeability in humans and rabbits. , 1984, Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.

[38]  S. Klyce,et al.  Determination of tear volume and tear flow. , 1966, Investigative ophthalmology.

[39]  R. G. Board,et al.  The cytotoxic and photodynamic inactivation of micro-organisms by Rose Bengal. , 1985, The Journal of applied bacteriology.

[40]  R. Stern,et al.  A morphologic and fluorophotometric analysis of the corneal endothelium in type I diabetes mellitus and cystic fibrosis. , 1985, American journal of ophthalmology.