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Enzyme‐Cytochemistry of Human Chorion Laeve at Term: Enzyme Localization on the Chorionic Trophoblast
Author(s) -
Matsubara Shigeki,
Sayama Masaaki,
Sato Ikuo,
Tamada Taro
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
asia‐oceania journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1447-0756
pISSN - 0389-2328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0756.1994.tb00453.x
Subject(s) - trophoblast , enzyme , alkaline phosphatase , biochemistry , cytochemistry , placental alkaline phosphatase , phosphatase , atpase , biology , adenylate kinase , acid phosphatase , placenta , chemistry , fetus , pregnancy , genetics
Is the chorion laeve merely a remnant of the chorion frondosum in placental development? Or is it metabolically active, having something to do with materno‐fetal interactions? In order to answer these questions at least in part, we determined the ultracytochemical localizations of some important enzymes such as nonspecific phosphatase (alkaline phosphatase), specific phosphatase (Ca ++ ‐ATPase and 5′‐nucle‐otidase) and adenylate cyclase in the human chorion laeve at term. Strong activities of these enzymes were localized by ultracytochemistry on the plasma membrane of the trophoblast in the chorion laeve. These enzyme activities were confirmed by a series of cytochemical‐control experiments, i.e., substrate‐free control, heat‐stability control, and inhibition control by inhibitors of alkaline phosphatase. These observations indicate that the chorionic trophoblast is probably metabolically active and that it might play an important role in the physiology of the fetal membrane.