THE EFFECT OF CARBON TETRACHLORIDE INDUCED LIVER INJURY UPON THE ACETYLCHOLINE HYDROLYZING ACTIVITY OF BLOOD PLASMA OF THE RAT

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Data have been presented concerning the changes in the acetylcholine splitting activity of rat plasma during growth and following the administration of carbon tetrachioride.

It has been concluded that the effects observed reflect changes in the amount of enzyme circulating in the plasma.

The drop of plasma cholinesterase activity following carbon tetrachloride injection is attributed to the liver injury produced by the poison, and is suggestive of a hepatic origin of the plasma enzyme.

The existence of a mobile reserve of (choline-) esterase in the liver has been suggested. The existence of such a reserve could explain the lag in the drop of the plasma cholin esterase activity as well as the very pronounced fall in the liver cholinesterase activity in carbon tetrachloride poisoning.