Summary
NADH oxidase activity has been detected at the ultrastructural level using cerium ions to trap H2O2 generated by the enzyme (via intermediate reactive oxygen species). In an attempt to localize NADH oxidase activity at the light microscope level using the cerium-diaminobenzidine (DAB)-nickel-H2O2, the cerium-DAB-cobalt-H2O2 or the cerium-alkaline lead procedures, the distribution patterns of the revealed enzyme were found to be identical to those for non-specific alkaline phosphatase and especially 5′-nucleotidase activity. With the cerium-DAB-cobalt-H2O2 visualization procedure, the distribution pattern of the inial reaction product was similar to that obtained with the other two techniques but much less final reaction product was formed. Incubations for NADH oxidase activity performed in the presence of exogenous catalase or in the absence of catalase or peroxidase inhibitors did not affect the staining intensity, whereas inhibitors of 5′-nucleotidase (EDTA) and non-specific alkaline phosphatase (levamisole) always did. Therefore, phosphatases contribute to the formation of the final reaction product. Since NADH initially cannot be hydrolysed by either of these two phosphatases, then presumably nucleotide prophosphatase (E.C.3.6.1.9) cleaves NADH into 5′-AMP and nicotinamide mononucleotide in a first step. Both nucleotides can be hydrolysed further by the two monophosphatases. These then generate cerium phosphate which is detected by the DAB-nickel-H2O2, DAB-cobalt-H2O2 or lead visualization methods.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Angermüller, S. &Fahimi, H. D. (1988a) Light microscopic visualization of the reaction product of cerium used for localization of peroxisomal oxidases.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 36, 23–8.
Angermüller, S. &Fahimi, H. D. (1988b) Heterogenous staining ofd-amino acid oxidase in peroxisomes of rat liver and kidney. A light and electron microscopical study.Histochemistry 88, 277–85.
Björkmann, U., Ekholm, R. &Denef, J.-F. (1981) Cytochemical localization of hydrogen peroxide in isolated thyroid follicles.J. Ultrastruct. Res. 74, 105–15.
Borgers, M. (1973) The cytochemical application of new potent inhibitors of alkaline phosphatases.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 21, 812–24.
Borgers, M. &Thone, F. (1975) The inhibition of alkaline phosphatase byl-p-bromotetramisole.Histochemistry 44, 277–80.
Briggs, R. T., Drath, D. B., Karnovsky, M. L. &Karnovsky, M. J. (1975) Localization of NADH oxidase on the surface of human polymorphonuclear leucocytes by a new cytochemical method.J. Cell. Biol. 67, 566–85.
Burstone, M. S. (1962)Enzyme Histochemistry and its Application in the Study of Neoplasms. New York, London: Academic Press.
Christie, K. N. &Stoward, P. J. (1982) The cytochemical reactivity of cerium ions with cardiac muscle.Acta Histochem. Cytochem. 15, 656–72.
Dawson, T. P., Gandhi, R., Lehir, M. &Kaissling, B. (1989) Ecto-5′-nucleotidase: localization in rat kidney by light microscopic, histochemical and immunohistochemical methods.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 37, 39–47.
De Pierre, J. W. &Karnovsky, M. L. (1974) Ecto-enzymes of the guinea-pig polymorphonuclear leukocyte II. Properties and suitability as markers for the plasma membrane.J. Biol. Chem. 249, 7121–9.
Dixon, M. &Webb, E. C. (1979)Enzymes. 3rd edn. New York, San Francisco: Academic Press.
Evans, W. H. (1974) Nucleotide pyrophosphatase, a sialoglycoprotein located on the hepatocyte surface.Nature 250, 391–4.
Evans, W. H., Hood, D. O. &Gurd, J. W. (1973) Purification and properties of a mouse liver plasmamembrane glycoprotein hydrolysing nucleotide pyrophosphatase and phosphodiester bonds.Biochem. J. 135, 819–26.
Frederks, W. M. &Marx, F. (1988) A quantitative histochemical study of 5′-nucleotidase activity in rat liver using the lead salt method and polyvinyl alcohol.Histochem. J. 20, 207–14.
Gossrau, R. (1978) Tetrazoliummethoden zum histochemischen Hydrolasennachweis.Histochemistry 58, 203–18.
Gossrau, R. (1989) Plasma membrane oxidases revealed by the Ce-DAB-H2O2−Ni-procedure. Fact or artefact?Histochem. J. In press.
Gossrau, R., Van Noorden, C. J. F. &Frederiks, W. M. (1989) Enhanced light microscopic visualization of oxidase activity with the cerium capture method.Histochemistry. 92, 349–53.
Nalbhuber, K. J., Gossrau, R., Möller, U., Hulstaert, C. E., Zimmermann, N. &Feuerstein, H. (1988) The cerium perhydroxide-diaminobenzidine (Ce−H2O2-DAB) procedure. New methods for light microscopic phosphatase histochemistry and immunohistochemistry.Histochemistry 90, 289–98.
Hsu, S.-M. &Soban, E. (1982) Color modification of diaminobenzidine (DAB) precipitation by metallic ions and its application for double immunohistochemistry.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 30, 1079–82.
Ishikawa, Y., Hirai, K.-J. &Ogawa, K. (1981) Electron cytochemical studies on an NAD(P)H-dependent H2O2-generating enzyme activity in the rat small intestine.Acta Histochem. Cytochem. 14, 727–33.
Karnovsky, M. J. &Robinson, J. M. (1981) Contribution of oxidative cytochemistry to our understanding of the phagocytic process. InHistochemistry. The Widening Horizons (edited byStoward, P. J. &Polak, J. M.), pp. 47–66. Chichester, New York, Brisbane, Toronto, Singapore: J. Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Lehir, M., Dubach, U. C. &Angielski, S. (1985) Localization of nucleotide pyrophosphatase in the rat kidney.Histochemistry 86, 207–10.
Lojda, Z., Gossrau, R. &Schiebler, T. H. (1979)Enzyme Histochemistry. A Laboratory Manual. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York: Springer.
McGadey, J. (1970) A tetrazolium method for non-specific alkaline phosphatase.Histochemie 23, 180–84.
Mizukami, Y., Matsubara, F., Matsukawa, S. &Izumi, R. (1983) Cytochemical localization of glutaraldehyderesistant NAD(P)H-oxidase in rat hepatocytes.Histochemistry 78, 259–67.
Mizukami, Y., Matsubara, F. &Matsukawa, S. (1986) Cytochemical localization of peroxidase and hydrogenperoxide-producing NAD(P)H-oxidase in thyroid follicular cells of propylthiouracil-treated rats.Histochemistry 82, 263–8.
Parson, J. D. (1987) Nucleotide metabolism. InMammalian Ectoenzymes (edited byKenny, A. J. &Turner, A. J.), pp. 139–67. Amsterdam, New York, Oxford: Elsevier.
Racker, E. (1955) Mechanism of action and properties of pyridine nucleotide linked enzymes.Physiol. Rev. 35, 1–56.
Robinson, J. M., Karnovsky, M. J., Stoward, P. J. &Lewis, P. R. (1990) Oxidases. InHistochemistry: Theoretical and Applied (edited byStoward, P. J. &Pearse, A. G. E.), Vol. III. Edinburgh, London, New York: Churchill Livingstone.
Schmidt, H. (1988) Phenol oxidase (EC 1.14. 18.1). A marker enzyme for defense cells.Progr. Histochem. Cytochem. 17, 1–194.
Van Noorden, C. J. F. &Jonges, G. N. (1987) Quantification of the histochemical reaction for alkaline phosphatase activity using the indoxyl-tetranitro BT method.Histochem. J. 19, 94–102.
Wachstein, M. &Meisel, E. (1957) Histochemistry of hepatic phosphatases at a physiologic pH with special reference to the demonstration of bile canaliculi.Am. J. Clin. Pathol. 27, 13–23.
Zimmermann, H. &Pearse, A. G. E. (1959) Limitations in the histochemical demonstrations of pyridine nucleotide-linked dehydrogenases (‘nothing-dehydrogenase’).J. Histochem. Cytochem. 7, 270–75.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gossrau, R., Van Noorden, C.J.F. & Frederiks, W.M. Pitfalls in the light microscopical detection of NADH oxidase. Histochem J 22, 155–161 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01003535
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01003535