Acid hydrolases in the bovine corneal epithelium.

The activities of acid phosphatase, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, alpha-mannosidase, alpha-fucosidase, beta-glucuronidase, arylsulfatase, and cathepsin D were biochemically investigated in the bovine cornea by separating the tissue into two layers, epithelium and stroma-endothelium. Acid phosphatase, alpha-mannosidase, alpha-fucosidase, and arylsulfatase disclosed much higher activities in the epithelial layer than in the stroma-endothelial layer. The other enzymes showed little difference in enzyme activity between the two layers.