Demonstration of acid alpha naphthyl acetate esterase activity in bovine lymphocytes and monocytes or macrophages.

Nonspecific acid alpha naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) activity has been demonstrated in bovine lymphocytes and monocytes-macrophages. The lymphocytes exhibited a solitary reddish brown globular reaction adjacent to the cell membrane (T-pattern) whereas the monocytes-macrophages revealed a diffuse reddish brown cytoplasmic reaction (M-pattern) product. Cytocentrifuge smears of lymphocytes forming rosettes with sheep erythrocytes also revealed T-pattern ANAE reaction in the majority of the cells. Similar T- and M-patterns of ANAE activity were observed in cryostat sections of biopsies collected from normal bovine lymph nodes and horn cancer tissue sections from bullocks.