Differential Demonstration of Acetylcholinesterase and Non-specific Cholinesterase in the Adrenal Medulla of the Rat

Abstract

USING naphthyl acetates as substrates, Coutinho et al. ¹ demonstrated histochemically that adrenomedullary cells of the rat can be divided into two categories, esterase-positive and esterase-negative. Allen, Eränkö and Hunter² confirmed this observation and showed that the regions of those medullary cells which fluoresce in ultra-violet light after fixation in calcium formol and which presumably contain noradrenaline³ were strongly cholinesterase-positive, while the remaining parenchyma was weakly positive or negative. After studies with some inhibitors they also suggested that two or more types of cholinesterases are involved in the histochemical reactions.