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Histochemical studies on urate oxidase in several mammals with special reference to uricolytic ability of primates

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Summary

Strong reactivity for urate oxidase was found in the liver parenchymal cells of the prosimians (i.e. the tree shrew, slow loris, potto and galago) as well as those of lower mammals. The liver parenchymal cells of the platyrrhine monkeys (i.e. the marmoset, owl monkey, squirrel monkey, capuchin monkey and spider monkey) were moderately positive. There was no preferential distribution of granular reaction products in zones of liver lobules of these species. The prosimians and platyrrhine monkeys seem to be uricolytic as lower mammals are. On the other hand, the old world monkeys (i.e. Java monkey and rhesus monkey) and the apes (i.e. the orang-utan and chimpanzee) were histochemically negative.

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Nakajima, Y., Bourne, G.H. Histochemical studies on urate oxidase in several mammals with special reference to uricolytic ability of primates. Histochemie 22, 20–24 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00310545

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