Summary
Potassium-dependentp-nitrophenylphosphatase was demonstrated, using the lead citrate method of Mayaharaet al. (1980), in frozen sections of calf intestine fixed in formalin-calcium. The calcium chloride included in the fixative was shown to improve the localization of the reaction markedly. The phosphatase activity observed in the basolateral cell borders of the surface epithelium in the small intestine and colon was reduced by 10mm oubain and by substitution of sodium ions for potassium ions, confirming that the reaction was representative for the second step in the Na+/K+-ATPase complex. The intensity of the basolateral enzyme reaction was in the order: colon > duodenum, proximal jejunum > ileum > middle and distal jejunum. The crypts reacted weakly. A reaction in the brush border of the proximal jejunum and duodenum and a granular reaction in the supranuclear cytoplasm of the epithelial cells was not influenced by oubain. The staining pattern for the potassium-dependent phosphatase differed from that of alkaline phosphatase and Mg2+-dependent ATPase, which gave a reaction that was restricted to the brush border.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ABEL, J. H. (1969) Electron microscopic demonstration of adenosine triphosphate phosphohydrolase activity in herring gull salt glands.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 17, 570–84.
CHARNEY, A. N., GOTS, R. E. & GIANELLA, R. A. (1974) (Na+-K+)-stimulated adenosinetriphosphatase in isolated intestinal villus tip and crypt cells.Biochim. Biophys. Acta 367, 265–70.
DIAMOND, J. M., EHRLICH, B. E., MORAWSKI, S. G., SANTA ANA, C. A. & FORDTRAN, J. S. (1983) Lithium absorption in tight and leaky segments of intestine.J. Membrane Biol. 72, 153–9.
DiBONA, D. R. & MILLS, J. W. (1979) Distribution of Na+-pump sites in transporting epithelia.Fed. Proc. 38, 134–43.
ERNST, S. A. (1972) Transport adenosine triphosphatase cytochemistry. I. Biochemical characterization of a cytochemical medium for the ultrastructural localization of oubain-sensitive, potassium-dependent phosphatase activity in the avian salt gland.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 20, 13–22.
FIRTH, J. A., FARR, A. & KOPPEL, H. (1979) The localization and properties of membrane adenosine triphosphatases in the guinea-pig placenta.Histochemistry 61, 157–65.
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.
GALL, D. G., CHAPMAN, D., KELLY, M. & HAMILTON, J. R. (1976) Na+ transport in jejunal crypt cells (abstract).Gastroenterology 70, 886.
GRATECOS, D., KNIBIEHLER, M., BENOIT, V. & SÉMÉRIVA, M. (1978) Plasma membranes from rat intestinal epithelial cells at different stages of maturation. I. Preparation and characterization of plasma membrane subfractions originating from crypt cells and from villous cells.Biochim. Biophys. Acta 512, 508–24.
HAFKENSCHEID, J. C. M. (1973) Occurrence and properties of (Na+—K+) activited ATPase in the mucosa of the rat intestine.Pflügers Arch. 338, 289–94.
JACOBSEN, N. O. & LETH JØRGENSEN, P. (1969) A quantitative biochemical and histochemical study of the lead method for localization of adenosine triphosphatehydrolysing enzymes.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 17, 443–53.
LANDSVERK, T. (1980) Histochemical distribution of enzymes in the small intestine of young milk-fed calves.Acta vet. scand. 21, 402–14.
LOJDA, Z., GOSSRAU, R. & SCHIEBLER, T. H. (1976)Enzymhistochemische Methoden. Springer Verlag, 1976.
MAYAHARA, H., FUJIMOTO, K., ANDO, T. & OGAWA, K. (1980) A new one-step method for the cytochemical localization of oubain-sensitive potassium-dependentp-nitrophenylphosphatase activity.Histochemistry 67, 125–38.
MYLREA, P. J. (1966) Digestion of milk in young calves. II. The absorption of nutrients from the small intestine.Res. vet. Sci. 7, 394–416.
NOVIKOFF, A. B., DRUCKER, J. WOO-YOUNG SHIN & GOLDFISCHER, S. (1961) Further studies of the apparent adenosine triphosphatase activity of cell membranes in formol-calcium fixed tissues.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 9, 434–51.
PEARSE, A. G. E. (1968)Histochemistry: Theoretical and Applied. Vol 1, pp. 496–511. Edinburgh, London, New York: Churchill-Livingstone.
POWELL, D. W. & FIELD, M. (1980) Pharmacological approaches to treatment of secretory diarrhea. InSecretory Diarrhea, pp. 187–209. Bethesda, Maryland: Clinical Physiology Series, American Physiological Society.
SASSIER, P. & BERGERON, M. (1978) Cellular changes in the small intestine epithelium in the course of cell proliferation and maturation.Subcell. Biochem. 5, 129–85.
SCHULTZ, S. G. (1980) Cellular models of sodium and chloride absorption by mammalian small and large intestine. InSecretory Diarrhea, pp. 1–9. Bethesda, Maryland: Clinical Physiology Series, American Physiological Society.
STIRLING, C. E. (1972) Radioautographic localization of sodium pump sites in rabbit intestine.J. Cell. Biol. 53, 704–14.
TRIER, J. S. & MADARA, J. L. (1981) Functional morphology of the mucosa of the small intestine. InPhysiology of the Gastrointestinal Tract, pp. 925–61. New York: Raven Press.
VENGESA, P. B. & HOPFER, U. (1979) Cytochemical localization of alkaline phosphatase and Na+-pump sites in adult rat colon.J. Histochem. Cytochem. 27, 1231–35.
WACHSTEIN, M. & MEISEL, E. (1957) Histochemistry of hepatic phosphatases at a physiologic pH. With special reference to the demonstration of bile canaliculi.Amer. J. Clin. Pathol. 27, 13–23.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Landsverk, T. Histochemical distribution of potassium-dependentp-nitrophenylphosphatase in the calf intestine. Histochem J 18, 519–523 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01675620
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01675620