Abstract

A new sensitive method for the assay of retinyl ester hydrolase in vitro was developed and applied to liver homogenates of 18 young pigs with depleted-to-adequate liver vitamin A reserves. Radioactive substrate was not required, because the formation of retinol could be adequately quantitated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Optimal hydrolase activity was observed with 500 μM retinyl palmitate, 100 mM 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate, and 2 mg/ml Triton X-100 at pH 8.0. The relative rates of hydrolysis of six different retinyl esters by liver homogenate were: retinyl linolenate (100%), myristate (99%), palmitate (47%), oleate (38%), linoleate (31%), and streate (29%). The enzyme was found primarily in the membrane-containing fractions of liver (59±3%, S.E.) and kidney (76±3%), with considerably lower overall activity in kidney (57–375 nmol/h per g of tissue) than in liver (394–1040 nmol/h per g). Retinyl ester hydrolase activity in these pigs was independent of serum retinol values, which ranged from 3 to 24 μg/dl, and of liver vitamin A concentrations from 0 to 32 μg/g. Pig liver retinyl ester hydrolase from the rat liver enzyme in its substrate specificity, bile acid stimulation, and interanimal variability.

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