Immunocytochemical Evidence for the Site of O-methylation in Rat Dental Pulp

Abstract

Immunocytochemical observations by light and electron microscopy of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) were conducted in dental pulp by use of a specific antibody to soluble rat-liver COMT and the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique. Immunoreactive deposits were found in macrophages. The pattern of localization suggests that COMT may function in extraneuronal inactivation of catecholamines in dental pulp.

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“…Macrophages are another cell type in PVAT that can metabolize NA (Chaitidis et al, ). The metabolizing enzyme COMT has been found in dental pulp macrophages (Inoue et al, ). Rat peritoneal macrophages were found by Vega et al () to contain SSAO.…”