Lactate-dehydrogenase activity in the rat testis: a comparison between fluorometric assay of freeze-dried sections and histochemical localization with phenazine methosulphate.

The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in freeze-dried sections of rat testes was determined by using a fluorometric assay method and found to be 4.47 +/- 0.23 moles/Kg dry weight/hr (MKDH +/- S.E.M.) in whole sections, 3.31 +/- 0.16 in tubules and 12.0 +/- 1.9 in interstitial tissue. The activities and regional variation are similar to those measured in nervous tissue and are well correlated with the histochemical localization of LDH activity when phenazine methosulphate (PMS) is not used as an electron carrier. LDH and lipoamide dehydrogenase activity have the same histochemical distribution and there is no nonspecific staining with either method. The use of PMS results in reduced dependence on substrate and coenzyme and does not indicate higher interstitial activity but may provide an indication of developing lactate metabolism in maturing sperm. It is recomended that methods with and without PMS be used in studies of LDH activity in the testis.