DEVELOPMENT OF A HISTOCHEMICAL METHOD FOR α- d -GALACTOSIDASE AND ITS DISTRIBUTION IN THE RAT

A histochemical method for the demonstration of α-d-galactosidase activity in formalinfixed, frozen sections was developed by the synthesis of 6-bromo-2-naphthyl-α-d-galactopyranoside. The histochemical procedure is similar to that developed for other glycosidases and utilizes the post-incubation coupling principle.

A survey of the organs of the rat revealed the highest activity in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells of Brunner's glands of the intestine, distal segment of proximal tubules of the kidney, thyroid and parathyroid glands and very strikingly in heterophiles and megakaryocytes.