ELEVATION OF CYSTATHIONINE γ-LYASE ACTIVITY IN THE SERUM OF RATS TREATED WITH A SINGLE DOSE OF CCL_4

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Cystathionine γ-lyase activity in the sera of rats subjected to experimental hepatotoxicity after intraperitoneal administration of carbon tetrachloride was measured and compared with activities of aspartate aminotransferase (GOT) and alanine aminotransferase (GPT), which have been clinically used for detecting liver damage. In the experimental subjects, serum levels of cystathionine γ-lyase showed a similar behavior to GOT and GPT, increasing markedly with respect to the controls after administration of carbon tetrachloride and reaching a maximum level at 24 hours. No such cystathionine γ-lyase activity was detected immunochemically in the control subjects. These data suggest that measurement of serum cystathionine γ-lyase activity could be used as a sensitive and specific marker of hepatic cytolysis. However, it remains necessary to confirm these results in different pathological situations affecting the human liver.