Histochemical studies of glycogen metabolizing enzymes in normal and abnormal human cervical epithelium.

The stratified squamous epithelium in eleven cervical cone biopsies was studied for localization of glycogen, glycogen synthetase, branching enzyme and amylophosphorylase in areas showing normal, dysplastic epithelium and carcinoma in situ. In the normal cervix glycogen was found to be present in the intermediate and superficial cells, amylophosphorylase activity was present in the basal and parabasal layers and the branching enzyme was found largely in the lower and middle zone of the intermediate layer. As the degree of abnormality increased, a progressive decrease of glycogen and branching enzyme and increasing amylophosphorylase was found, suggesting that amylophosphorylase could be a constitutive enzyme in normal, dysplastic and neoplastic cells. The method for localization of glycogen synthetase activity was not sufficiently reproducible nor sensitive for conclusions to be drawn.