Lysosomal Enzymes in Pregnant and Steroid Treated Rats

Summary

The contents of three lysosomal enzymes (β-hexosaminidase, β-glucuronidase and α-fucosidase) were studied in plasma and different tissues of pregnant and steroid treated rats. All these enzymes were found to be increased in plasma from pregnant rats in analogy with the findings in pregnant women. In liver tissue only β-hexosaminidase and α-fucosidase were significantly increased.

In rats treated with diethylstilbestrol (DES) and a combination of DES and progesterone, there was an increase of α-fucosidase in plasma and liver. No significant changes were observed for the other two enzymes. Thus, steroid treatment did not fully reproduce the enzyme changes seen in pregnancy, which may indicate that these are not solely due to a hormone effect.

Key-Words

Liver - Lysosomal Enzymes - Plasma - Pregnant Rat - Steroid Hormones