Enzymes in cell fractions of human liver biopsies.

Abstract. Liver biopsies from 31 patients with histologically normal liver, from 14 patients with cirrhosis, and from 17 patients with fatty liver have been homogenized and separated in mitochondrial and cytoplasmic fractions by centrifugation. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was determined in the cytoplasmic fraction, and glutamate-oxal-acetate transaminase (GOT) in both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial fractions. The activities were related to tyrosine-containing protein (Lowry). All activities showed a great variation from patient to patient in all groups, but the mean values of cytoplasmic LDH and GOT were significantly depressed in cirrhotic livers, and mitochondrial GOT was significantly elevated in fatty livers.