Enzyme histochemical observation of alkaline phosphatase activity in endometrial cells

Especially the relationship with sex hormones

Abstract

We observed the fluctuations of endometrial alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, accompanying the menstrual cycle, was studied by applying the enzyme histochemical method to the cytodiagnosis. At the same time, the influence of sex hormone on the activity of this enzyme was examined by determining its blood levels.
As a result, it was confirmed that the ALP activity of the endometrium is weak in the early proliferative phase; thereafter this activity increases gradually with the menstrual cycle, and on the day of ovulation, or a few days later than that, it reaches a peak, and thereafter maintains a relatively high level of activity until the mid-secretory phase. When it reaches the late secretory phase, the enzyme activity becomes weak again. Furthermore, regarding the relationship with the sex hormone levels in the blood, the activity reaches a peak about two days after a peak of the blood estradiol level had appeared. Also, it was revealed that the activity attains a low value slightly after the mid-secretory phase, during which the progesterone level shows a high value. It was suggested that the activity of this enzyme is activated by estradiol and, on the other hand, suppressed by progesterone.
Although there are still more or less technical problems remaining, in the application of enzyme histochemistry in cytodiagnosis, much more development of the cytodiagnosis may be anticipated in future by adding the enzyme histochemical method to Papanicolaou staining.