Enzyme histochemistry of microdissected sweat glands

The technic of combined enzyme staining and microdissection of sweat glands is described. With the staining methods used, alkaline phosphatase is found in the distal secretory portion, whereas acid phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, and to a lesser degree, non-specific esterase are more abundant in the secretory coil than in the excretory duct. Several dehydrogenase enzymes, monoamine oxidase and cytochrome oxidase are more uniformly distributed in the cells of duct and coil. Although the results are similar to those reported by other workers using microscopic sections, the method is considered to be of value in studies on enzyme activities of sweat glands, by permitting simultaneous analysis of the distribution of enzymes along the length of such glands.