Aspects histochimiques et histoenzymatiques de l'aorte de COTURNIX coturnix (Caille) (Phasianides)

Abstract

The aorta of the adult Coturnix was found to be provided with many enzyme systems detectable histochemically: oxydoreductases: NADH 2 and NADPH 2 tetrazolium reductases, lactate DH > lipoic and malate dehydrogenases > aldolase, glucose-6 phosphate DH; hydrolase: aryl-sulfatase > ATP-ase > β-glucuronidase, naphthyl esterase > aminopeptidases > 5, nucleotidase. Traces only of enzyme activity of the 6-phosphogluconate and UDPG dehydrogenases and glucose-6-phosphatase were detected. The activities were located in the smooth muscle cells of the media and partially in the endothelial cells. The interstitial substances had lesser histoenzymatic activity. The enzyme equipment of the aorta together with the metabolites detected histochemically suggest the existence of some anabolic and catabolic reactions: anaerobic glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation and desulfatation which would be very active; oxidation within the Krebs cycle and esterolysis seemed moderately powerful and aerobic glycolysis, proteolysis and lipolysis seemed very weak. The Coturnix aorta differs from the aortas of the species susceptible to nutritional atherosclerosis ( Gallus domesticus) by the absence of alkaline and acid phosphatase activities as well as by the stronger activities of the lipoic and malate dehydrogenases.