Acid and alkaline phosphatases in histologically defined areas of the sheep uterus and placenta: histochemical and microfluorometric analyses.
Acid and alkaline phosphatases were studied in different structures of the sheep uterus and placenta by semiquantitative histochemistry of frozen sections (days 10-80 of pregnancy) and quantitative microfluorometry of freeze-dried sections (days 10-145 of pregnancy). Histochemically, lowest activity for acid phosphatase was found in the uterine glands, but biochemically it was lowest in the maternal caruncles. Histochemical acid phosphatase activity in the uterine glands and maternal caruncles increased on day 80 of gestation; however, biochemically, the activity decreased in the glands but did not change in the maternal caruncles during pregnancy. Weak histochemical staining was found in the luminal epithelium on days 25 and 80 of gestation compared with other days, whereas biochemically the activity was high at these times. Histochemically, alkaline phosphatase activity in athe luminal epithelium, uterine glands and maternal caruncles was high and did not change during pregnancy. Fluorometrically, the activity decreased in the luminal epithelium but it increased in the uterine glands and maternal caruncles. Histochemical data showed higher alkaline phosphatase activity in the maternal caruncles and trophoblast than in the foetal cotyledons, but biochemically no activity was detected in the trophoblast and foetal cotyledons.
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep; D014599:Uterus / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000135:Acid Phosphatase