Cytochemical localization of beta-galactosidase in resident and inflammatory peritoneal macrophages from C57BL mice

A cytochemical method for the detection of beta-galactosidase (beta-Gase) in mouse peritoneal macrophages was used to study the ultrastructural localization of this enzyme in these cells. It was found that the reaction product for beta-Gase was localized in the perinuclear cisternae, the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi complex, lysosomes, vesicles and on the cell surface of peritoneal macrophages from untreated C57BL mice. When examined by X-ray microanalysis the crystalline reaction product was found to contain bromine, an element present in the indolyl substrate which was used to identify beta-Gase. Injection of Proprionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) intraperitoneally or BCG intravenously caused a visible loss in beta-Gase from all the organelles and from the cell surface of the macrophages.