Effects of Inflammation on Peroxisomal Enzyme Activity, Catalase Synthesis and Lipid Metabolism.

The activity of hepatic peroxisomal enzymes, catalase, urate oxidase, D-amino acid oxidase, hydroxy acid oxidase, and carnitine acetyltransferase were serially measured following a turpentine-induced sterile inflammatory lesion in rats. The ensuing depression in peroxisomal enzyme activities was shown to be temporally related to development of the acute inflammatory response indicating that depression of peroxisomal activity is a nonspecific host response to inflamation. Measurements of the rate of degradation and synthesis of catalase showed that the decrease in catalase activity results from a 60 per cent decrease in its rate of synthesis. Hepatocytes isolated from turpentine-treated rats showed, respectively, decreased and increased capacity for lipid oxidation and fatty acid esterification.