Abstract
With aid of the immunohistoc h emical technique, enzyme protein of alkaline phosphatase was recognized in the cytoplasm of the goblet cell, in the material within the lumen which was supposed to be secreted from the goblet cells, and along the surface of the mucous epithelial cells. The distribution pattern of the enzyme protein was quite different from that of the enzymatic activity. The goblet cells, which are negative to the alkaline phosphatase reaction by the conventional histochemical method, may contain the inactive alkaline phosphatase or the presumptive precursor which may be turned into the active enzyme as soon as it is excreted into the intestinal lumen and comes into contact with some activator contained in the intestinal juice.
Since the localization of the enzyme protein of alkaline phosphatase is unknown in the kidney, bone marrow and in the other tissues which have the positive enzyme, reaction, it is impossible to find the difference of the distribution pattern between the results obtained by histochemical and immunohistological methods. Therefore, the origin of the supply of alkaline phosphatase in the kidney and other tissues remains still unknown except the intestine as these tissues do not have the goblet cells.
