Lysosomal enzymes and vitamin E deficiency

Abstract

1. The activities of several lysosomal hydrolases have been measured in tissues of rats with nutritional liver necrosis. Incipient or actual liver necrosis did not alter total, free or unsedimentable activities of cathepsin, β-glucuronidase, β-galactosidase or acid phosphatase of liver and kidney. Free hydrolytic activity towards p-nitrophenyl phosphate was slightly raised in liver, and serum β-galactosidase and β-glucuronidase were moderately elevated. These results suggest that lysosomal hydrolases are not directly implicated in the causation of liver necrosis.2. Testicular degeneration was studied with reference to changes in β-giucuronidase activity. This enzyme activity, total, free and unsedimentable, was raised in deficient rat testis at 6 months old and did not decline even after a year. Raised values were also found in serum.