EFFECT OF CORTISONE ON THE INTRACELLULAR DISTRIBUTION OF PHOSPHATASES AND RIBONUCLEASES IN RAT LIVER

Abstract

The effect of cortisone acetate administration on the mitochondrial populations and intracellular distribution of phosphatases and ribonucleases was studied. Cortisone acetate was given at a dosage of 25 mg/100 g body weight daily, during 5 days and sacrificed on the 6th day. Livers of these animals were removed and homogenized in 0.25 [image] sucrose and subjected to different centrifugation to prepare nuclear, mitochondrial, microsomal, and supernatant fractions. Nuclear and mitochondrial counts were made for each homogenate prepared. From these the number of mitochondria per average cell was computed. The intracellular distribution of RNAase and PO4ase activities was determined and expressed per average cell and per liver per body weight ratio. Activity of the mitochondrial fraction was also expressed per average mitochondrion. Cortisone lowered the number of large granules per liver cell without influencing the acid PO4ase and acid and alkaline RNAase activities per cell. Cortisone increased the Mg++ sensitive alkaline PO4ase localized in the supernatant fluid without influencing the Mg++ insensitive enzyme.