Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Structure and histochemistry of the normal intestine of the fowl. II. Distribution of enzyme activities in the duodenal and jejunal mucosa

  • Papers
  • Published:
The Histochemical Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Synopsis

The distributions of acid and alkaline phosphatases, ATPase (pH 7.2), thiamine pyrophosphatase, glucose-6-phosphatase, non-specific esterase, β-glucuronidase, leucine naphthylamidase and succinate dehydrogenase in the small intestine of the normal fowl have been studied by histochemical methods. Pronounced activities of all the enzymes were found in the villous epithelium.

The crypt cells were histochemically different from the mature villous absorptive cells. As they migrated towards the tops of the crypts the cells underwent a process of differentiation which, at the junctional zone between the crypt and the villus, was rapidly completed. The crypt cells showed considerable amounts of leucine naphthyl-amidase and thiamine pyrophosphatase, whereas other histochemically demonstrable enzyme activities were less evident or even absent.

Slight enzymic differences were evident between the duodenum and the jejunum; β-glucuronidase was only present in the jejunum and the mitochondrial enzyme succinate dehydrogenase was less strong in the jejunum.

The similarities and differences in the enzymic activities of the mucosae of the fowl and of mammals are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allan, J. M. &Slater, J. J. (1961). A cytochemical study of the Golgi-associated Thiamine pyrophosphatase in the epididymis of the mouse.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 9, 418–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barka, T. (1960). A simple azo-dye method for histochemical demonstration of acid phosphatase.Nature (Lond.) 187, 248–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baxter-Grillo, D. L. (1969a). Enzyme histochemistry and hormones of the developing gastro-intestinal tract of the chick embryo. I. A histochemical and quantitative study of glycogen, Uridine diphosphate glucose-glycogen transglucosylase, Glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphorylase.Histochemie 19, 31–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baxter-Grillo, D. L. (1969b). Enzyme histochemistry and hormones of the developing gastro-intestinal tract of the chick embryo. II. The histochemistry of oxidative enzymes.Histochemie 19, 129–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baxter-Grillo, D. L. (1970). Enzyme histochemistry and hormones of the developing gastro-intestinal tract of the chick embryo. IV. The enzyme activity during functional differentiation.Histochemie 21, 268–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burstone, M. S. (1958). Polyvinyl acetate as a mounting medium for azo-dye procedures.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 5, 196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies, B. J. &Ornstein, L. (1959). High resolution enzyme localization with a new diazo reagent ‘Hexazonium pararosaniline’.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 7, 297–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, I. &Pryse-Davies, J. (1963). The distribution of certain enzymes in the normal human gastrointestinal tract.Gastroenterology 44, 745–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Floch, M. H., Van Noorden, S. &Spiro, H. M. (1966). Differences in epithelial enzyme activity in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum of the monkey.Am. J. dig. Dis. N.S. 11, 804–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Floch, M. H., Van Noorden, S. &Spiro, H. M. (1967). Histochemical localization of gastric and small bowel mucosal enzymes of man, monkey and chimpanzee.Gastroenterology 52, 230–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gomori, G. (1950). Sources and errors in enzymatic histochemistry.J. Lab. clin. Med. 35, 802–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gomori, G. (1952).Microscopic Histochemistry: Principles and Practice. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grey, R. D. &Lecount, T. S. (1970). Distribution of leucine naphthylamidase and alkaline phosphatase of the villi of the chick duodenum.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 18, 416–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi, M., Nakajima, Y. &Fishman, W. H. (1964). The cytologic demonstration of β-glucuronidase employing naphthol AS-Bi glucuronide and hexazonium pararosaniline; a preliminary report.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 12, 293–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt, S. J. (1958). Indigogenic staining methods for esterases. In:General Cytochemical Methods, Vol. 1 (ed. J. F. Danielli), pp. 375–98. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holt, J. A. &Miller, D. (1962). The localization of phosphomonoesterases and aminopeptidase in brush borders isolated from intestinal epithelial cell.Biochem. biophys. Acta 58, 239–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hugon, J. S. &Borgers, M. (1969). Localization of acid and alkaline phosphatase activities in the duodenum of the chick.Acta histochem. 34, 349–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jervis, H. R. (1963). Enzymes in the mucosa of the small intestine of the rat, the guinea-pig and the rabbit.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 11, 692–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, F. R. &Kugler, J. H. (1953). The distribution of alkaline phosphatase in mucosal cells of the small intestine of the rat, cat and dog.J. Anat. 87, 247–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, B. F. (1963). Alkaline phosphatase in the large intestine.J. Anat. 85, 140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mcgadey, J. (1970). A tetrazolium method for non-specific alkaline phosphatase.Histochemie 23, 180–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Michael, E. (1972). Histochemical studies on intestinal coccidiosis of the fowl.Ph.D. Thesis, University of London.

  • Michael, E. &Hodges, R. D. (1973). Structure and histochemistry of the normal intestine of the fowl. I. The mature absorptive cell.Histochem. J. 5, 313–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moe, H., Rostgaard, J. &Behnke, D. (1965). On the morphology and origin of virgin lysosomes in the intestinal epithelium of the rat.J. Ultrastruct. Res. 12, 396–403.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moog, F. (1944). Localization of alkaline and acid phosphatases in the early embryogenesis of the chick.Biol. Bull. 86, 51–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moog, F. (1950). The functional differentiation of the small intestine. I. The áccumulation of alkaline phosphomonoesterase in the duodenum of the chick.J. exp. Zool. 115, 109–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moog, F. (1961). The functional differentiation of the small intestine. IX. The influence of thyroid function on cellular differentiation and accumulation of alkaline phosphatase in the duodenum of the chick embryo.Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 1, 416–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moog, F. (1966). The regulation of alkaline phosphatase activity in the duodenum of the mouse from birth to maturity.J. exp. Zool. 161, 353–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moog, F. &Grey, R. D. (1967). Spatial and temporal differentiation of alkaline phosphatase on the intestinal villi of the mouse.J. Cell Biol. 32, C1-C5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moog, F. &Grey, R. D. (1968). Alkaline phosphatase isozymes in the duodenum of the mouse: Attainment of pattern of spatial distribution in normal development and under the influence of cortisone or actinomycin D.Devl. Biol. 18, 481–500.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nachlas, M. M., Crawford, D. T. &Seligman, A. M. (1957). The histochemical demonstration of leucine aminopeptidase.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 5, 264–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nachlas, M. M., Monis, B., Rosenblatt, D. &Seligman, A. M. (1960). Improvement in the histochemical localization of leucine aminopeptidase with a new substratel-leucyl-4-methoxyl-2-naphthylamide.J. biophys. biochem. Cytol. 7, 261–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordstrim, C., Dahlqvist, A. &Josefsson, L. (1968). Quantitative determination of enzymes in different parts of the villi and crypts of rat small intestine. Comparison of alkaline phosphatase disaccharidases and dipeptidases.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 15, 713–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nunnally, D. A. (1962). The functional differentiation of the small intestine. X. Duodenal succinic dehydrogenase in chick embryos and hatched chicks.J. exp. Zool. 149, 103–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Overton, J. &Shoup, J. (1964). Fine structure of cell surface specialisations in the maturing duodenal mucosa of the chick.J. Cell Biol. 21, 75–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Padykula, H. A. (1962). Recent functional interpretations of intestinal morphology.Fedn Proc. 21, 873–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Padykula, H. A., Srauss, E. W., Ladman, A. J. &Gardner, F. H. (1961). A morphologic and histochemical analysis of the human jejunal epithelium in non-tropical sprue.Gastroenterology 40, 735–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearse, A. G. E. (1960).Histochemistry, Theoretical and Applied. 2nd Edn. London: Churchill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearse, A. G. E. &Riecken, E. O. (1967). Histology and cytochemistry of the cells of the small intestine in relation to absorption.Br. med. Bull. 23, 217–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Penttila, A. &Gripenberg, J. (1969). Fine structure and enzyme histochemistry of developing duodenal epithelium of the chicken.Z. Anat. EntwGesch.,129, 109–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ragins, H., Dittbrenner, M. &Diaz, J. (1964). Comparative histochemistry of the gastric mucosa: a survey of the common laboratory animals and man.Anat. Rec. 150, 179–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, D., Berkowitz, S. D. &Moog, F. (1955). The functional differentiation of the small intestine. V. The accumulation of non-specific esterase in the duodenum of chick embryos and hatched chicks.J. exp. Zool. 130, 57–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Riecken, E. O., Stewart, J. S., Booth, C. C. &Pearse, A. G. E. (1966). A histochemical study on the role of lysosomal enzymes in idiopathic steatorrhoea before and during a gluten-free diet.Gut 7, 317–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shnitka, T. K. (1960). Enzymatic histochemistry of gastrointestinal mucous membrane.Fedn Proc. 19, 897–904.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trier, J. S. (1968). Morphology of the epithelium of the small intestine. In:Handbook of Physiology Sect. 6, Alimentary Canal, Vol. III (ed. C. F. Code), pp. 1125–75. Washington: American Physiological Society.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vilar, O. &Biempica, L. (1961). Changes in enzymatic activity at different levels of intestinal epithelium of rats.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 9, 636.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wachstein, M. &Meisel, E. (1956). On the histochemical demonstration of Glucose-6-phosphatase.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 4, 592.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wachstein, M., Meisel, E. &Niedzwiedz, A. (1960). Histochemical demonstration of mitochondrial adenosine triphosphatase with the lead adenosine triphosphate technique.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 8, 387–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster, H. L. &Harrison, D. D. (1969). Enzymatic activities during the transformation of crypts to columnar intestinal cells.Expl Cell Res. 56, 245–53.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wye College, University of London, Wye, Ashford, Kent, UK

    E. Michael & R. D. Hodges

Authors
  1. E. Michael
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. D. Hodges
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Michael, E., Hodges, R.D. Structure and histochemistry of the normal intestine of the fowl. II. Distribution of enzyme activities in the duodenal and jejunal mucosa. Histochem J 6, 133–145 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01011802

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01011802

Keywords

Search

Navigation