Measurement of enzyme activities in mouse epidermis following phorbol ester treatment: a potential artifact

After application of tetradecanoylphorbol acetate to mouse skin, a decrease in the specific activity of catalase in epidermal extracts has been observed, confirming the observation of earlier workers. However, this decrease in specific activity is largely due to an increase in extractable protein and not an actual decrease in catalase activity per animal skin. Thus changes in specific activity of components in epidermal extracts need to be interpreted with caution.