Enzymic Activities of Liver and Serum in Virus Hepatitis of Mice

Abstract

Following infection with MHV-3 virus of Gledhill and Andrewes, liver tissue showed a decrease of adenylpyrophosphatase, succinodehydro-genase and rhodanese activities and an increase of phosphoglucomutase activity. In serum considerable increases of transaminase (aspartic-ketoglutaric and alanine-ketoglutaric) and phosphoglucomutase activities were observed. Moreover the ratio aspartic-ketoglutaric/alanine-ketoglutaric dropped from the normal value of 3.57 to 0.89. The enzymic variations in the liver tissue are interpreted as correlated to the phenomena of necrosis and subsequent cellular regeneration. The increase of the enzymatic serum activities is the consequence of the passage into the bloodstream of enzyme molecules from the injured hepatic tissue. These results agree with those obtained by the authors in human virus hepatitis and applied to the diagnosis of the human disease.