Acid Phosphomonesterase Activity of Human Neoplastic Tissue

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A technic is described for obtaining reproducible measurements of activity of acid phosphomonoesterases on specimens of tissue even as small as those obtained on surgical biopsy. Tissues for examination are sectioned at 20-30[mu] on a freezing microtome. Four to 12 sections are incubated at 37[degree]C in 6-8 ml. of buffered substrate for 15-60 min., at end of which time phosphate analyses are carried out on the filtered supernatant by the quantitative microchemical method of Fiske and Subbarow. Duplicate sections are stained for phosphate activity after the procedure of Gomori and with hematoxylin and eosin. Comparison of quantitative acid phosphatase activity of a variety of human neoplasms with tissues of origin indicate a uniform increase in nuclear acid phosphatase in the human cancers. Such information provides further indication of fundamental enzymatic disturbances in human cancerous tissues.
Keywords