Staining with combined Alcian blue and periodic‐acid‐Schiff stains distinguishes the neutral (red staining) from the acid (blue staining) mucopolysaccharide. Neuraminidase digestion has been used to identify neuraminic acid and autoradiography, following the administration of radioactive sulphate, to trace sulphate. All acid mucopolysaccharide in the mouse bronchial tree is neuraminidase susceptible; no uptake of radioactive sulphate is shown. In the rat there is a regional difference; in the epithelium of the peripheral airways only neuraminidase susceptible acid mucopolysaccharide is present, whereas in the trachea and main bronchi most of the cells contain acid mucopolysaccharide, take up radioactive sulphate and are not susceptible to neuraminidase. In the large intrapulmonary bronchi there are cells with either of the above characteristics, those with similar properties usually being grouped together.
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McCarthy et al. (1964) studied this question.