Histochemical demonstration of alkaline phosphatase in human large intestine,normal and diseased

Summary Alkaline phosphatase activity has been investigated by histochemical methods in normal and diseased human large intestine. The tissues were constantly maintained at 4° C or below. Specimens were either frozen in liquid nitrogen, freeze-dried and embedded in glycol methacrylate for sectioning at 2 , or, fixed in ice-cold formol-calcium for frozen sectioning at 10 . The simultaneous coupling azo dye method using the substrates sodium -naphthyl phosphate and Naphthol AS-BI phosphate, resulted in the demonstration of alkaline phosphatase activity in the surface epithelial cells, and the middle and upper crypts, of normal and transitional mucosa.Address for proofs: Department of Anatomy University of Queensland