Histochemical study of the activity of lipase in the digestive system of some teleost fishes.

The distribution of lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) in the different parts of the digestive system of Bagarius bagarius, Mastacembelus armatus, Glossogobius giuris and Rohtee cotio has been studied. In the stomach of Mastacembelus, Bagarius and Glossogobius the lipase activity has been found in the mucosa and gastric glands. The intestinal pulb and the intestine of herbivorous Rohtee and in the intestine of the rest of the three fishes show the enzymatic activity in the mucosal epithelium. However, in Mastacembelus and Glossogobius the lipase activity is more pronounced in the intestinal mucosa than that in Bagarius and Rohtee. In the liver, the enzyme is distributed in polyhedral hepatic cells in all the fishes studied specially around the nuclei of the hepatic cells. In the pancreas of Rohtee, the enzyme is distributed in the acinar cells and the cells of islets of Langerhans. The serosa and muscularis of the different portions of digestive system of the four fishes studied are devoid of any lipolytic activity.