Abstract
Thirty six squamous cell carcinomas and 10 normal tissues of human uterine cervix were histochemically studied on the 3 dehydrogenase systems; succinate dehydrogenase, 5 DPN-dependant dehydrogenases (lactate, malate, α-glycerophosphate, glutamate, β-hydroxybutyrate) and 2 TPN-dependent dehydrogenases (glucose-6-phosphate, isocitrate). Recently developed methods based on the use of nitro-blue tetrazolium were applied.
On the normal epithelium of portio vaginalis, succinate dehydrogenase activity was remarkably high in the basal layer. Lactate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase activity were remarkably strong in all layers of epithelium except the cornified layer. Decreasing activity of the DPN-linked dehydrogenases were noted in the follwing order: lactate, malate, α-glycerophospate, glutamate, β-hydroxybutyrate. And 2 TPN-linked dehydrogenases were less active than DPN-linked dehydrogenases except the β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase activity. Cornified layer of epithelium showed abundant dehydrogenase activity, on the contrary the most basal layer was remarkably reactive for all dehydrogenases on this study.
On carcinoma nest the dehydrogenase activity was negative in the keratinous pearl of well-differentiated form. It was similar to the cornified layer of normal epithelium. While the activity in the well-differentiated carcinoma nest except the keratinized portion, the intermediately differentiated and the undifferentiated form was similar or less to the activity of stratum germinativum of normal epithelium.
