Ultracytochemical localization of glucose-6-phosphatase in Chang rat hepatoma in vivo and in vitro.

The standard lead precipitation method was used for ultracytochemical localization of glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase) in the in vivo and in vitro forms of the Chang rat hepatoma and in the normal adult rat liver. Reaction product was visualized as very fine particulate within the cisternae of the nuclear envelope and endoplasmic reticulum. Cytochemically, the amount of the G-6-Pase reaction product in both forms of the tumor cells was obviously less than that in the normal hepatocytes. Apparently, the enzyme was not completely deleted from the hepatoma cells. The results supported some biochemical data of certain other hepatomas. The successful ultracytochemical localization of G-6-Pase in cultured hepatoma cells has not been reported previously.