Stable acid phosphatase: I. Demonstration and distribution.

After a pH-dependent reactivation a highly stable form of acid phosphatase (SAPhase) could be demonstrated in active cells of the macrophage/giant cell/osteoclast series and also in epiphyseal chondrocytes, in cells lining bone undergoing resorption and in hamster eosinophils. Because acid phosphatases of epithelial cells in rat, hamster and Macaca sp. tissues did not possess this stability, SAPhase served as a useful cell marker for the above mesenchymal cell types in paraffin and glycol-methacylate sections even after rapid demineralization in acidic buffers. Conformational alterations appear to occur in the enzyme during formaldehyde fixation, embedding, and reactivation. The granular staining of SAPhase and the successful use of a non-aqueous fixative suggest an association of SAPhase with lysosomes and their membranes. Cells of mesencymal origin that are actively engaged in intra- and/or extracellular digestion contain high levels of SAPhase. The distribution and properties of SAPhase indicate an interrelationship between mononuclear and mutinuclear cell types actively engaged in such digestive processes.