[Enzyme histochemical studies of the swine placenta. Histoptics of enzymes in interareolar placental epithelia].

In porcine interareolar placental epithelia, the following enzymes were demonstrated by histochemical methods after 30, 58, 80, 100, and 110 d of pregnancy, respectively: beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase, beta-galactosidase, beta-glucuronidase, alpha-mannosidase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, nonspecific esterases, cytochrome oxidase, 5-nucleotidase, leucine aminopeptidase, adenosine triphosphatase, diaphorases (NADH, NADPH), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase (NAD, NADP), beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, glycero-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, NAD-glycero-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutamate dehydrogenase (NAD, NADP), lactate dehydrogenase. The results show that most of the enzyme activities remained almost unchanged during the period of investigation. Only G-6-PDH and 6-PGDH activities increased within the uterine epithelium and nonspecific esterase activity within uterine as well as chorionic epithelia during the 2nd half of pregnancy. Within chorionic and uterine epithelia, hydrolases but not dehydrogenases demonstrated a higher activity at the bases of chorionic villi as compared to the apices and flanks of the latter. The action and influence of the demonstrated enzymes on metabolism, energy transfer, secretory, and resorptive activities of chorionic and uterine epithelia are discussed.