Acid .ALPHA.-naphthyl acetate esterase(ANAE) staining of porcine lymphocytes.

Abstract

Acid α-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) activity was investigated to be one of porcine T lymphocyte markers by modified fixation procedures in normal porcine lymphocytes prepared from spleen, blood, mesenteric lymph nodes, thymus and Peyer's patch. Smears were fixed for 2 to 3 seconds with buffered formalin acetate (pH 6.6). The majority of ANAE positive cells had the red-brown spot. The cells diffusely stained with densely red color were found to be monocytes. Other stained cells had stained granules. There were no differences between the ratios of ANAE positive cells with stained spots or granules and those of E-rosette positive cells in lymphocyte preparations from spleen, blood, mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patch. However, the ANAE positive cells in thymus were stained faintly and the ratio of ANAE positive cells was by far lower than that of E-rosette positive cells. In Con A or PHA-P stimulated lymphocytes, ANAE staining density was more faint than that of non-stimulated cells and the percentages of ANAE positive cells were lower than those of E-rosette positive cells. These results indicated that ANAE activity could be one of T cell markers for porcine mature lymphocytes (spot or granular pattern) of spleen, blood, mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's Patch and one of markers for porcine monocytes (diffuse pattern).