ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY IN BOVINE VASCULAR WALL

Abstract

Histochemical investigation of both myosin and поп-myosin ATP-ases in bovine aorta, femoral artery and vein, vena cava caudalis and vena portae was carried out. The localization of these enzymes was determined by the structural peculiarities of the vascular wall and especially by the distribution of smooth muscle cells (SMC), the endotelium and vasa vasorum. In the outer part of aortic tunica media bundles of SMC and elastic lamellae were mozaically distributed. This fact determined the mozaic localization of enzymic activity in this layer. The reaction intensity in these SMC was higher than that in the inner media SMC and the intima as well the latter being similar in femoral artery SMC. There was a stronger reaction intensity in longitudinal adventitial SMC than that in the circular media layer when vena cava caudalis and vena portae were concerned. The intensity of ATP-ase reaction in SMC was proportional to the functional activity of these cells in the corresponding vascular wall layer.