Arylsulphatases in the rabbit oviduct: postovulatory changes tested by histochemical and biochemical procedures

A histochemical and biochemical study of the activity of arylsulphatases A and B was carried out on the oviduct of female rabbits during the first days after mating. The histochemical results demonstrated that the ampullary and the isthmic epithelial cells have a positive reaction to the sulphatases during the whole of the postovulatory period tested. The enzymatic activity is mainly localized in the basal cellular cytoplasm. The biochemical results confirmed that both arylsulphatase A and B are active. Arylsulphatase A activity is more intense in the ampulla than in the isthmus and it increases during the whole of the postovulatory period; in the isthmus the activity increases up to 72 h, thereafter decreasing again. The arylsulphatase B activity is always lower than arylsulphatase A activity; maximum activity is reached between 66 to 72 h after mating. The arylsulphatase B is relatively higher in the ampulla than in the isthmus. The biological role of these enzymes is discussed in relation to the regulation of the sulphated glycoconjugates.