Ultrastructural localization of butyrylcholinesterase in epithelial cells of rat intestine.

The present study reports the histochemical detection, at the ultrastructural level, of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in the epithelial cells of rat intestine. The enzyme activity was observed in the crypt cells as well as in the mature cells of the villi. Inside the enterocytes, BChE was seen in the reticulum cisternae, Golgi apparatus and lipid droplets. BChE was also detected in the Grünhagen spaces, associated with chylomicrons. In the intercellular spaces, at the level of the upper part of the cryptic epithelium, the enzyme was found from the base to the apex of the cells. The precise localization of BChE in the cellular structures noted suggests that its function could be related to lipid metabolism and/or cell renewal.