ARTICLE

THE FINE STRUCTURAL LOCALIZATION OF ENDOGENOUS AND EXOGENOUS PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY IN KUPFFER CELLS OF RAT LIVER

H. Dariush Fahimi ¹

¹ From the Harvard Pathology Unit, Mallory Institute of Pathology, Boston City Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02118

Endogenous peroxidase activity has been demonstrated in sections of rat liver fixed briefly by glutaraldehyde perfusion and incubated in Graham and Karnovsky's medium for cytochemical demonstration of peroxidase activity (29). In 25–40% of sinusoidal cells, an electron-opaque reaction product is localized in segments of the endoplasmic reticulum, including the perinuclear cisternae, a few Golgi vesicles and saccules and in some large membrane-bounded granules. This staining is abolished after prolonged fixation or boiling of tissue sections in glutaraldehyde, and in the absence of H₂O₂ or DAB from the incubation medium. Furthermore, the reaction is inhibited completely by sodium azide and high concentrations of H₂O₂, and partially by KCN and aminotriazole. Among the different cells in hepatic sinusoids, the nonphagocytic "fat-storing" cells (39) are always peroxidase negative, whereas the lining cells in process of erythrophagocytosis are consistently peroxidase positive. The possible biological significance of endogenous peroxidase in Kupffer cells is discussed. In addition, the uptake of exogenous horseradish peroxidase by Kupffer cells has been investigated. The exogenous tracer protein, which in contrast to endogenous peroxidase of Kupffer cells is not inhibited by prolonged aldehyde fixation, is taken up by micropinocytosis and remains confined to the lysosomal system of Kupffer cells. The significance of these observations in respect to some recent studies suggesting localization of exogenous peroxidases in the endoplasmic reticulum of Kupffer cells and peritoneal macrophages (22, 23) is briefly discussed.

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Fahimi, H. D., Baumgart, E. (1999). Current Cytochemical Techniques for the Investigation of Peroxisomes: A Review. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 47: 1219-1232 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Qwarnstrom, E.E., Hand, A.R. (1987). The Effects of Increased Intraluminal Pressure on Rat Submandibular Gland Morphology. FAKE JDR 66: 592-593  

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