The influence of freezing and freeze-drying of tissue specimens on enzyme activity

In the presented study the influence of freezing and freeze-drying on enzyme activity is described. Attention is paid to 16 enzymes which can be used for quantitative enzyme histochemical techniques. With the exception of succinate dehydrogenase only, no significant inactivation during freezing and freeze-drying procedures could be demonstrated with lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase (NAD+), malate dehydrogenase (decarboxylating) (NADP+), isocitrate dehydrogenase (NADP+), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, NADH-oxydoreductase, mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, cytochrome c oxidase, phosphoglucomutase, glucosephosphate isomerase, glucose-6-phosphatase, acid phosphatase, beta-glucuronidase and non specific aryl esterase. Therefore, the results supply a sound foundation for those quantitative enzyme histochemical techniques in which tissue specimens are frozen or frozen-dried before enzyme estimations are performed.