title: Nucleoside phosphatase and nucleotide tetrazolium reductase as markers of arteriolar differentiation in fetal pig tissue.
abstract: Nucleoside phosphatase and nucleotide tetrazolium reductase reactions were studied as potential markers of arteriolar differentiation. Arteriolar systems were analyzed cytochemically and morphologically in a variety of fetal pig tissues at 70 and 110 days of gestation. In skeletal muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue there were age dependent changes in phosphatase and reductase reactivity in arteriolar vessels. These changes were temporally associated with the morphological differentiation of the tunica medial arteriolar layer. There were no age dependent changes in the cytochemistry of arterioles in liver and cardiac muscle. In the youngest fetuses, arterioles in liver and cardiac muscle displayed a typical tunica medial layer (normal morphology). The cytochemical reactions (phosphatase, reductase) of arterioles in cardiac muscle and liver from 70 (and 110) days old fetuses were identical to cytochemical reactions of arterioles in muscle and adipose tissue from 110 days old fetuses. In the skin, there were age dependent increases in phosphatase reactive arterioles and capillaries. Capillary staining (phosphatase) and capillary bed size were inversely correlated in the skin. Capillaries in skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, adipose tissue and liver were not phosphatase reactive. These results indicate that the morphological and cytochemical differentiation of arterioles is dependent on tissue and age in the fetal pig. Furthermore, several histochemical techniques (phosphatase, reductases) are validated as simple means to analyze arteriolar differentiation in general.
mesh_terms: D017766:Acid Anhydride Hydrolases; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000098:blood supply / Q000196:embryology; D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000196:embryology*; D001160:Arterioles / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000201:enzymology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D005865:Gestational Age; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000201:enzymology; D009132:Muscles / Q000098:blood supply / Q000196:embryology; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009580:Nitroblue Tetrazolium; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply / Q000196:embryology; D013552:Swine; D014699:Venules / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D009580:Nitroblue Tetrazolium; D009247:NADH, NADPH Oxidoreductases; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D017766:Acid Anhydride Hydrolases; C023837:nucleoside-diphosphatase