HISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF PHOSPHORYLASE IN ANIMAL TISSUES

Amylophosphorylase in animal tissues has been demonstrated in frozen sections by use of activators and primer in a modified Yin and Sun method. A suitable technique for this purpose was newly devised. It was experimentally proved that the synthesis of glycogen from glucose-1-phosphate in tissues was specifically due to phosphorylase activity itself. Amylophosphorylase was histochemically demonstrated in muscle fibers of skeletal and heart muscles, smooth muscles in certain organs, epithelium of esophagus etc. The reactions were shown in cytoplasms and the nuclei were not stained. The phosphorylase reaction of muscle was very closely related to striated structure in muscle fibers.

Histochemical demonstration of uridine diphosphate glucose-glycogen transferase in animal tissues

Polysaccharide was histochemically synthesized in muscle fibers and other tissue cells by using uridine diphosphate glucose as substrate. By revising the method previously described in light of new biochemical and histochemical findings more satisfactory optimal conditions were defined for the demonstration of the uridine diphosphate glucose-glycogen transferase enzyme.

The histochemical properties of the reaction were very similar to those reported biochemically and this tended to verify the specificity of the reaction. Glucose-6-phosphate stimulated intensely the uridine diphosphate glucose-glycogen transferase reaction in an alkaline range.

MUCINOGENESIS AND ENZYMORPHOLOGY OF RAT VAGINA; PHOSPHORYLASE, β-GLUCURONIDASE, DPNH-DIAPHORASE AND PHOSPHATASES

Vaginal epithelium of ovariectomized rats following the subcutaneous injection of oestrogenic hormone was analyzed by enzymorphology and particular attention was given to mucin formation. Localization and intensity of enzymes examined in this study such as amylophosphorylase, amylo-1,4→ 1,6-transglucosidase, alkaline and acid phosphatases, 5-nucleotidase, esterase, DPNH-diaphorase, and β-glucuronidase varied depending on the stage of hormonal stimulation. Mucified cells contained the various enzymes examined, being especially rich in phosphorylase, alkaline phosphatase, 5-nucleotidase, β-glucuronidase and DPNH-diaphorase. These seemed to be related to the intracellular metabolism in the mucinogenous cells of epithelial layers. One of these, amylophosphorylase was demonstrated only in mucified cells within whole epithelial layers in mucified stage, and a close relationship between it and mucin formation was observed. The location of amylo-1,4→ 1,6-transglucosidase resembled the phosphorylase finding and suggests a similar physiologic function.