Changes in activation of aspartate aminotransferase by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate after experimental liver damage in rabbits.

The aspartate aminotransferase activity with and without pyridoxal 5'-phosphate supplementation was examined in mitochondrial and cytoplasmic preparations from fresh human heart and liver samples. The apoenzyme was fully saturated in all cases. Liver cell damage was produced by ischaemia and carbon tetrachloride poisoning in two groups of rabbits. The activity of aspartate aminotransferase with and without pyridoxal 5'-phosphate was measured in the plasma and in cytoplasmic and mitochondrial preparations from both groups. After carbon tetrachloride poisoning the enzyme activity in the plasma increased within 2 h but was not enhanced by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Following ischaemia, plasma enzyme activity only increased between 4 and 8 h and was progressively stimulated by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. Up to 15 h after carbon tetrachloride poisoning the liver cytoplasmic and mitochondrial apo-enzyme remained fully saturated with co-enzyme. In contrast, a pronounced loss of co-enzyme occurred in both fractions of the ischaemic group. These result suggest that the type of injury and not necessarily the organ affected could determine the degree of activation of aspartate aminotransferase by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate observed in human myocardial infarction and liver disease.