The serum activities of AP, gamma-GT, GlDH and GPT after bile duct obstruction and ethionine in the rat.

The increase of activity of the enzymes AP, Gamma-GT, GlDH and GPT was investigated in this study with regard to its pathomechanism. The increase of AP is known to be caused by a de novo-protein synthesis in the liver, as several investigators have demonstrated using protein synthesis inhibitors. In this study female Wistar rats were partly sham-operated, partly bile duct-obstructed. One half of each group received the protein synthesis inhibitor ethionine, 24 h after bile duct obstruction in the group with ethionine the following enzyme activities were measured in the serum: AP 216 +/- 80 U/l; gamma-GT 4.5 +/- 1.9 U/l; GlDH 85 +/- 26 U/l; GPT 375 +/- 163 U/l. In the group without ethionine the activities were: AP 459 +/- 69 U/l; gamma-GT 4 +/- 0.9 U/l; GlDH 120 +/- 81 U/l; GPT 417 +/- 191 U/l. Because the differences between the groups with and without ethionine were not significant with the exception of AP, it is concluded that in the early phase of bile duct obstruction up to 24 h no influence of de novo-protein synthesis can be demonstrated in the elevation of the activities of gamma-GT, GlDH and GPT.