The metabolism of mucopolysaccharides. II. The effect of adrenalectomy on enzymes involved in glucuronide synthesis and metabolism in connective tissue.

Abstract

The levels of activity of hexokinase, phosphoglucomutase, uridine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase, and uridine diphosphoglucose dehydrogenase, which are involved in the synthesis of glucuronic acid, and the activities of glucuronosyl transferase and β-glucuronidase, which are involved in its metabolism, were studied in connective tissue from sham-operated and adrenalectomized rats. Adrenalectomy resulted in a significant decrease in phosphoglucomutase activity and in significant increases in the activities of hexokinase, uridine diphosphoglucose dehydrogenase, and β-glucuronidase. Adrenalectomy had no effect upon the activities of uridine diphosphoglucose pyrophosphorylase or glucuronosyl transferase.The added stress of either a sham injection or injection of sesame oil, both given daily and intraperitoneally, resulted in a significant increase in hexokinase activity and a decrease in glucuronosyl transferase and β-glucuronidase activities, in both sham-operated and adrenalectomized animals. The other enzymes were unaffected.