Chronobiological study of several enzymes of lysosomal origin in human plasma

The possible occurrence of circadian and circannual rhythms in the plasma concentrations of the following enzymes of lysosomal origin was assessed: beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30) beta-D-glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.31), beta-D-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21), beta-D-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.22), alpha-D-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23), alpha-L-fucosidase (EC 3.2.1) and alpha-D-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.24). The circadian rhythm was studied in 16 women (aged: 17-24 years) and 13 men (age: 23 years) volunteers; the circannual rhythm, in 10 women and 8 men (age: 20-25 years). The circadian rhythm was detected in all the tested enzymes of women, and only in alpha-D-galactosidase, beta-D-glucosidase, alpha-D-mannosidase and beta-D-acetylglucosaminidase of men. A statistically significant difference between genders in the circadian rhythm was exhibited by beta-D-galactosidase (MESOR; amplitude) beta-D-glucosidase (MESOR; amplitude; acrophase) beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase, beta-D-glucuronidase and alpha-D-galactosidase (MESOR) and alpha-L-fucosidase (amplitude, acrophase). A circannual rhythm was detected in all the tested enzymes with the exception of beta-D-glucuronidase and beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase; no statistically significant difference between genders was detected. The group rhythms of some of the enzymes (alpha-D-galactosidase, beta-D-glucosidase, beta-D-galactosidase) showed similar values of both circadian and circannual acrophases, suggesting that they may subjected as a group to the same chronobiological coordination, possibly mediated by hormones. The chronobiological rhythms of lysosomal enzymes were different from those of lactate dehydrogenase and alpha 1-antitrypsin, indicating that these rhythms are not merely reflecting fluctuations of the water content of plasma. No in-phase relationship was observed between the circadian and circannual rhythms of plasma cortisol and those of the tested lysosomal enzymes, excluding a direct chronobiological and possibly functional relationship between this hormone and lysosomal enzymes.