cresyl violet

Cresyl violet is an organic compound traditionally used as a histological stain and recently investigated as a diagnostic contrast agent. In laboratory settings, it is the primary component of Nissl staining, which selectively labels the rough endoplasmic reticulum (Nissl substance) and nuclei in neurons by binding to acidic cellular components like RNA and DNA. This allows researchers to visualize cytoarchitecture and assess neuronal loss in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injury. Clinically, cresyl violet is being explored as a topical dye for probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE). In this application, it provides real-time, in vivo microscopic imaging of the gastrointestinal mucosa, aiding in the diagnosis of gastric intestinal metaplasia and colorectal polyps by highlighting tissue architecture and cellular nuclei without the need for systemic injection.

Other names

cresyl violet acetatecresyl fast violetNissl stain