Enzyme-histochemistry of the juxtaoral organ in man ("organ of Chievitz").

The activities of several enzymes - hydrolases, oxidoreductases and carbonic anhydrase - were demonstrated histochemically in the epithelial parenchyma of the human juxtaoral organ. Two characteristics enzyme-activity-patterns provided morphological distinction between two different forms of the juxtaoral organ, independently of the sex or age of the patient. Provisionally we have called them type I and type II. Type I showed a strong activity of alkaline phosphatase and carbonic anhydrase and low activity of non-specific esterases, whereas type II showed just the contrary. The enzyme activities in the epithelial parenchyma displayed obvious similarities to those of the duct cells of salivary glands but they were different from those of the oral mucosa studied. Only alkaline phosphatase of the enzymes demonstrated, showed activity in the epithelia of the juxtaoral organ but none in the oral mucosa or salivary glands. On account of the multiple nerve endings present, a receptor function is presumed for these, whereas the function of the epithelial parenchyma is still unknown.