Age and sex dependence of the effects of an aqueous extract of Physalis alkekengi fruits on rat hepatic glucose 6-P dehydrogenase activity.

Intraperitoneal injections of an aqueous extract of winter cherry fruits (Physalis alkekengi) to new-born, weanling and adult female rats and to weanling and adult male rats had no effect on body weight, liver weight and liver cytosol protein content. The specific activities of hepatic glucose 6-P dehydrogenase (an estrogen induced protein) in rats of different age and sex groups in terms of mU/mg protein were: treated new-born females, 15.9 +/- 0.5; control, 29.1 +/- 0.6; treated weanling females, 14.9 +/- 0.3; control, 24.8 +/- 0.7; treated adult females, 25.7 +/- 0.5; control, 26.1 +/- 0.5; treated weanling males, 7.9 +/- 0.2; control, 7.9 +/- 0.1; treated adult males, 9.6 +/- 0.4; and control, 9.7 +/- 0.3. Treatment of new-born and weanling female rats with the extract resulted in 40-45% reduction in hepatic G6PD activity. However, treatment of adult females, and weanling and adult males produced no significant change in the activity of this enzyme. The data are discussed both in terms of the increase in the capacity of rodent liver to metabolize steroidal compounds with age and the presence of low levels of circulating estradiol necessary for enzyme induction in male rats.