Localization of alkaline phosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase in the mammalian pancreas

The light microscopic histochemical localization of alkaline phosphatase (APase) and adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) in the mammalian pancreas is reviewed. Capillary endothelial cells usually exhibit both enzymes. ATPase is usually present in endocrine and acinar cells and absent in duct cells. APase is often found in islet cells but is almost always absent in exocrine cells. These enzymes should therefore be used with caution as markers for specific cells and organelles of the pancreas, and for monitoring diseases that might lead to the release of these enzymes from the pancreas.