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Aminopeptidase activity of elastotic fibres—a histochemical artifact?

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Elastotic fibres of human skin and of elastofibroma were found to be stained when sections of these tissues had been incubated for aminopeptidase using leucine naphthylamide as substrate and Fast Blue B as the coupling agent. Sections that had been inactivated (with formalin or mercuric chloride) and partially covered with an intact kidney section were stained identically. A dialysing membrane placed between the inactivated skin section and the intact kidney section did not prevent staining of the elastotic fibres. The fibres were also stained when sections were incubated in an aqueous mixture of naphthylamine and an excess of Fast Blue B. It is concluded that the staining of elastotic fibres in histochemical amino-peptidase reactions may be due to adsorption of coloured azo derivatives and may not indicate enzyme activity in the fibres.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Clinic of Dermatology, University of Turku, Finland

    Mikko Järvinen & Väinö K. Hopsu-Havu

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  1. Mikko Järvinen
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  2. Väinö K. Hopsu-Havu
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Järvinen, M., Hopsu-Havu, V.K. Aminopeptidase activity of elastotic fibres—a histochemical artifact?. Histochem J 3, 37–45 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01686505

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01686505

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