[A fluorometric method of determining cholesterol esterase activity]

A simple and highly specific method for estimating the cholesterol esterase activity is suggested. Cholesterol esterase (EC 3.1.1.13) is incubated with the emulsified substrate, cholesteryl-o-coumarate, at pH 6.6 to yield o-coumaric (trans-2-hydroxycinnamic) acid detected fluorimetrically (lambda exc 363 nm, lambda em 494 nm) at pH 10.4. The fluorescence associated with the unhydrolyzed substrate is negligible. Cholesteryl-o-coumarate is not hydrolyzed by pancreatic lipase, trypsin, or chymotrypsin under the above conditions. About 1 microgram of pancreatic cholesterol esterase can be determined upon 15 min incubation. The substrate was synthesized by condensation of o-acetoxy-trans-cinnamic acid with cholesterol using the di-tert-butyl pyrocarbonate--pyridine--4-dimethylaminopyridine system.