Acid phosphatase and non-specific esterase in normal and reactive glia of human nervous tissue. A histochemical study

Abstract

The distribution of acid phosphatase and non-specific esterase in glia cells of normal and pathological human nervous tissue has been histochemieally studied.Acid phosphatase is prominent in cortical glia, especially in the first layer astrocytes, while non-specific esterase prevails in white matter oligodendroeytes. In reactive glia both enzyme activities result increased. The iatracellular sites of enzyme activity correspond to PAS-positive and autofluorescent material which represents largely lipopigments. The two enzyme activities studied seem to be associated to these structures. The use of inhibitors and activators allows to recognize that non-specific esterase partly is sensitive and partly is resistant to E 600. The former prevails ia white matter oligodendroeytes and the latter is prominent in pericytes and reactive glia cells, pCMB failed to give histoehemically any enzyme modification.The significance of the findings in the different glia forms is discussed.

Age‐related ubiquitin deposits in dystrophic neurites: an immunoelectron microscopic study

“…The participation of cells of glial origin in the formation of Ubq deposits is not surprising, since reactive and neoplastic astrocytes have been found to express Ubq (Galloway & Likavec, 1989). Moreover, the staining pattern of Ubq is similar to that obtained with histochemical staining for lysosomal esterases, which are expressed by oligodendrocytes (Schiffer, Fabiani & Monticone, 1967).…”

Effect of Intracerebral Injection of Chlorpromazine and Diazepam on Acid Phosphatase Activity in the Mouse Brain

“…The close relationship of acid phosphatase (AcP) with cytotic mechanisms has been associated with lysosomes [De Duve, 1959;Koenig et al, 1964;Novikoff, 1961], and its accessibility by histochemical methods allows to mor phologically investigate important intracellular processes [Schiffer et al, 1967], Accordingly, some workers have studied the AcP activity in the normal and pathological glia cells [Anderson and Song, 1962;Friede and Magee, 1962;Koenig and Barron, 1962;Olsen and Petri, 1963;Samorajskiet al. 1964] and during wallerian degeneration [Van Houten and Friede, 1964;Wolfgram and Rose, I960].…”