Summary
Histochemically demonstrable enzymes, glycogen, and lipids were studied during prenatal histogenesis of brown fat in fetal rats. SDH, MDH, LDH, DPN and TPN diaphorases, α- and β-naphthyl esterases were demonstrable in brown fat cells on day 17 of gestation. Glycogen, lipid, G-6-PDH, cytochrome oxidase, indoxyl esterase and alkaline phosphatase were detected on day 17.5. The progressive increase in MDH, LDH, SDH, DPN diaphorase and cytochrome oxidase content paralleled increases in mitochondrial population during differentiation. MAO and esterase content increased only slightly during the prenatal period studied. Alkaline phosphatase appeared in morula stage cells. These were rare at 17.5 days, but increased in number until, at day 20, they were the predominant cells in the dorsal suprascapular brown fat lobules. Further maturation resulted in the loss of alkaline phosphatase which was present in only occasional cells at birth. Reactions for acid phosphatase, ATPase, naphthol-AS esterase, leucine aminopeptidase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, cholesterol and plasmalogens were negative in prenatal and neonatal brown fat cells.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albert, Z., Orlowski, M., Szewczuk, A.: Histochemical demonstration of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Nature (Lond.) 191, 767–768 (1961).
Barka, T., Anderson, P. J.: Histochemistry. Theory, practice and bibliography. New York: Harper & Bow 1963.
Buno, W., Germino, M. J.: Distribution of succinic dehydrogenase in the organs of the adult albino rat. Acta anat. (Basel) 33, 161–174 (1958).
Burstone, M. S.: Enzyme histochemistry and its application in the study of neoplasms. New York: Academic Press 1962.
Cramer, W.: On glandular adipose tissue and its relation to other endocrine organs and to the vitamin problem. Brit. J. exp. Path. 1, 184–196 (1920).
Davison, A. N.: Physiological role of monoamine oxidase. Physiol. Rev. 38, 729–747 (1958).
Dawkins, M. J. R., Hull, D.: Brown adipose tissue and the response of newborn rabbits to cold. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 172, 216–238 (1964).
Fawcett, D. W.: A comparison of the histological organization and cytochemical reactions of brown and white adipose tissues. J. Morph. 90, 363–388 (1952).
Fernández-Morán, H., Ada, T., Blair, P. V., Green, D. E.: A macromolecular repeating unit of mitochondrial structure and function. J. Cell Biol. 22, 63–100 (1964).
Frederic, J.: Recherches cytologiques sur le chondriome normal ou soumis à l'expérimentation dans cellules vivantes cultivées in vitro. Arch. Biol. (Liège) 69, 167–349 (1958).
Friede, R. L., Pax, R. A.: Mitochondria and mitochondrial enzymes. A comparative study of localization in the cat's brain stem. Histochemie 2, 186–191 (1961).
Gomori, G.: Microscopic histochemistry. Chicago: Chicago Univ. Press 1952.
Hashimoto, K., Ogawa, K., Lever, W. F.: Histochemical studies on skin. II. The activity of succinic, malic, and lactic dehydrogenase systems during the embryonic development of the skin in the rat. J. invest. Derm. 39, 21–33 (1961).
Hook, W. E., Barron, E. S. G.: The respiration of brown adipose tissue and kidney of the hibernating and non-hibernating ground squirrel. Amer. J. Physiol. 133, 56–63 (1941).
Hunter, R. L.: Distribution of esterase in the mouse embryo. Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. (N.Y.) 78, 56–57 (1951).
—, Markert, C. L.: Histochemical demonstration of enzymes separated by zone electrophoresis in starch gels. Science 125, 1294–1295 (1957).
Johansson, B.: Brown fat: a review. Metabolism 8, 221–240 (1959).
Lehninger, A. L.: The enzymic and morphologic organization of the mitochondria. Pediatrics 26, 466–475 (1960).
Lever, J. D.: The fine structure of brown adipose tissue in the rat with observations on the cytological changes following starvation and adrenalectomy. Anat. Rec. 128, 361–372 (1957).
Lindberg, O., DePierre, J., Rylander, E., Afzelius, B. A.: Studies of the mitochondrial energy-transfer system of brown fat adipose tissue. J. Cell Biol. 34, 293–310 (1967).
McManus, J. F. A., Mowry, R. W.: Staining methods histological and histochemical. New York Harper & Row 1960.
Menschik, Z.: Histochemical comparison of brown and white adipose tissue in guinea pigs. yAnat. Rec. 116, 439–455 (1953).
Munro, D. W., Anthony, A.: Respiration and oxidative phosphorylation in liver and brown fat homogenates from hibernating and active hamsters. Amer. Zool. 6, 323 (1966).
Nachlas, M., Monis, B., Rosenblatt, D., Seligman, A. M.: Improvement on histochemical localization of leucine aminopeptidase with a new substrate, 1-leucyl-4-methoxy-2-naphthylamine. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 7, 261–264 (1960).
Napolitano, L., Fawcett, D. W.: The fine structure of brown adipose tissue in the newborn mouse and rat. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 4, 685–691 (1958).
Novikoff, A. B.: Mitochondria (Chondriosomes). In: The cell. Biochemistry physiology and morphology (J. Brachet and A. E. Mirsky, eds.), vol. 2, p. 358. New York: Academic Press 1961.
Padykula, H. A., Herman, E.: The specificity of the histochemical method for adenosine triphosphatase. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 3, 170–195 (1955).
Pearse, A. G. E.: Histochemistry, theoretical and applied, ed. 2. Boston: Little Brown & Co 1960.
Potter, R. L., Eastlick, E. L.: A histochemical study of certain enzymes in the “adipose tissue” of the chick and mouse with special reference to embryonic stages. Growth 16, 199- 211 (1952).
Scarpelli, P. G., Pearse, A. G. E.: Cytochemical localization of succinic dehydrogenase in mitochondria. Anat. Rec. 132, 133–151 (1958).
Sidman, R. L.: Histogenesis of brown adipose tissue in vivo and in organ culture. Anat. Rec. 28, 581–595 (1956).
Simon, G.: Histogenesis. In: The handbook of physiology (A. E. Renold and G. P. Cahill, Jr., eds.) sec. 5, p. 101–107. Washington, D. C.: American Physiological Society 1965.
Smith, R. E.: Thermoregulation by brown adipose tissue in cold. Fed. Proc. 21, 221 (1962).
Tahmisian, T. N., Powers, E. L., Devine, R. L.: Light and electron microscope studies of morphological changes of mitochondria during spermatogenesis in the grasshopper. J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 2, 325–330 (1956).
Thompson, J. F., Smith, D. E., Nance, S. L., Habeck, D. A.: Some metabolic characteristics of brown fat with particular reference to the mitochondria. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 25, 783–804 (1968).
Vaughn, M., Korn, E. D.: Metabolic activity of adipose tissue II. In: Adipose tissue as an organ (L. W. Kinsell, ed.), p. 173. Springfield, Ill: C. W. Thomas 1962.
Wachstein, M., Meisel, E.: Histochemistry of hepatic phosphatases at a physiological pH with special reference to the demonstration of bile canaliculi. Amer. J. clin. Path. 27, 13–23 (1957).
Weber, G., Banerjee, G., Ashmore, J.: Activities of enzymes involved in glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and hexosemonophosphate shunt in rat adipose tissue. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 3, 182–186 (1960).
—, Hird, H. J., Stamm, N. B., Wagle, D. S.: Enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism in adipose tissue. In: The handbook of physiology (A. E. Renold and G. F. Cahill, Jr., eds.), sec. 5, p. 225–231. Washington, D. C.: American Physiological Society 1965.
Wertheimer, E., Shafrir, E.: Influence of hormones on adipose tissue as a center for fat metabolism. Recent Progr. Hormone Res. 16, 467–490 (1960).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported in part by Grant No. 375, Nutrition Foundation, Inc.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sheader, R.E., Zeman, F.J. The enzyme histochemistry of developing brown fat in the fetal rat. Histochemie 21, 147–159 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306182
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00306182