Summary
The activities of α-naphthyl bytyrate esterase, non-specific esterase, indoxyl esterase and acid phosphatase were studied histochemically in macrophages in cultures and in tissue sections of primary tumours and metastases of Lewis lung carcinoma (3LL). All macrophages in culture were stained by the α-naphthyl butyrate esterase procedure. In tissue sections, macrophages were intensely stained by the butyrate esterase procedure, while the tumour cells were not stained at all; macrophages were easily differentiated from 3LL cells. Non-specific esterase was evident in both tumour cells and macrophages. Indoxyl esterase and acid phosphatase were present in macrophages at the margin of the tumour only.
The α-naphthyl butyrate esterase-positive macrophages differed in shape and location from acid phosphatase and indoxyl esterase-positive macrophages. This may indicate a difference in characteristics between macrophages found inside a tumour and those found at the tumour margins.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abraham, R. &Barbolt, T. A. (1978) Lysomal enzymes in macrophages of colonic tumors induced in rats by 1,2-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride.Cancer Res. 38, 2763–7.
Ansley, H. &Orenstein, L. (1970) Enzyme histochemistry and differential white cell counts on the technicon hemalogTMD.Adv. Automated Anal. 1, 437–46.
Barka, T. &Anderson, P. J. (1963)Histochemistry, Theory, Practice and Bibliography. New York: Harper and Row.
Evans, R. (1972) Macrophages in syngenetic animal tumors.Transplantation 14, 468–73.
Gauci, C. L. &Alexander, P. (1975) The macrophage content of some human tumors.Cancer Lett. 1, 29–32.
Hibbs, J. B. (1974) Heterocytolysis by macrophages activated by bacillus Calmette-Guerin: lysosome exocytosis into tumor cells.Science, N.Y. 184, 468–71.
Leibovici, J., Borit, A., Sandbank, U. &Wolman, M. (1979) The role of macrophages and polymorphs in the levan-induced inhibition of Lewis lung carcinoma in C57 BL mice.Br. J. Cancer 40, 597–607.
Nathan, C. F., Brukner, L. H., Silverstein, S. C. &Cohn, Z. A. (1979a) Extracellular cytolysis by activated macrophages and granulocytes. I. Pharmacologic triggering of effector cells and the release of hydrogen peroxide.J. exp. Med. 149, 84–99.
Nathan, C. F., Brukner, L. H., Silverstein, S. C. &Cohn, Z. A. (1979b) Extracellular cytolysis by activated macrophages and granulocytes. II. Hydrogen peroxide as mediator of cytotoxicity.J. exp. Med. 149, 100–13.
Pearse, A. G. E. (1968)Histochemistry: Theoretical and Applied, Vol. 2. 3rd edn. London: Churchill.
Stephens, T. C., Currie, G. A. &Peacock, J. H. (1978) Repopulation of γ-irradiated Lewis lung carcinoma by malignant cells and host macrophage progenitors.Br. J. Cancer 38, 572–83.
Svennevig, J. L., Lovik, M. &Svaar, H. (1979) Isolation and characterization of lymphocytes and macrophages from solid, malignant human tumors.Int. J. Cancer 23, 626–31.
Willcox, M. B., Golde, D. W. &Cline, M. J. (1976) Cytochemical reactions of human hematopoietic cells in liquid culture.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 24, 979–83.
Yam, L. T., Li, C. Y. &Crosby, W. H. (1971) Cytochemical identification of monocytes and granulocytes.Am. J. clin. Pathol. 55, 283–90.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Brown, R., Wolman, M. Differentiation of macrophages from Lewis lung carcinoma tumour cells in tissue sections by their α-naphthyl butyrate esterase activity. Histochem J 13, 975–981 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01002637
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01002637