Histochemical and manometric studies of cholinesterases in mammalian kidney tissue

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana

The localization of cholinesterase in kidney tissue of rat, dog, mouse, rabbit, guinea pig, cat, and human has been attempted using the histochemical technique of Koelle. A cholinesterase is located in the glomeruli of rat, dog and mouse; and an aliesterase (eserine-resistant esterase) is located in the tubules of rat and dog. Other species, rabbit, cat, guinea pig, and human, stain very little for esterases in the parenchyma of the kidney using this technique. Nine of thirteen adrenalectomized rat kidneys stained less for cholinesterase in the glomeruli than normal rat kidneys. With the manometric technique hydrolysis rates for several choline esters, using homogenates of kidneys of most species mentioned, were determined. Very little correlation could be made between rates of hydrolysis of these choline esters and the staining obtained with the Koelle technique.