Abstract
Distribution of the histochemical activity of phosphatases in the resting mammary glands of young adult female rat of Sprague-Dawley's strain was observed under an electronmicroscope, by means of Mayahara et al's method for nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (alk-P), Ogawa et al's method for adenosinetriphosphatase in high alkaline medium (ATPase) and Gomori's method for acid phosphatase (acid-P).
Abundant deposition of the reaction product for alk-P is seen along the folded plasma membrane of the epithelial cell. Intensity of the reaction is strongest at the infolded basal plasma membrane, but along the lateral plasma membrane interdigitation are sparsely present rather small precipitates. Deposition on the lateral plasma membrane becomes less and less as it approaches the luminal edge. No precipitates are found along the luminal surface, nor on the microvilli. Intracytoplasmic organelles of the epithelial cell are free from the deposits in exception of few lysosomal dense bodies located in basal portions of the epithelial cell. In the myoepithelial cell, myofilaments do not react after the method for alk-P and only parts of the surface plasma membrane, especially the pinocytotic vesicles, bear the deposits of reaction product. Intracytoplasmic organelles of the myoepithelial cell are also free from the deposits.
Histochemical activity of ATPase is recognized only along the lateral plasma membrane of the epithelial cell after the method for ATPase in high alkaline medium. The reaction product hardry be detected at the infolded basal plasma membrane of the epithelial cell, in the pinocytotic vesicles of the myoepithelial cell or on the myofilaments. Intracytoplasmic organells of both cells are free from the precipitates.
Reaction product for acid-P is seen in some lysoso mal dense bodies of both cells of the ductule, which are found more in the epithelial cell. It is detected on few basal plasma membrane of the epithelial cell. The other parts of both cells are free from the products.
