[Estimation of glycosaminoglycan hydrolases in liver tissue]

Optimal enzyme/substrate ratios were studied to estimate the activity of lysosomal glycosaminoglycan (GAG) hydrolases in homogenate and supernatant fractions of liver tissue. The modified procedures enabled, without any loss in sensitivity, to decrease the amount of biological material in samples on estimation of hyaluronidase, beta-glucuronidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminidase; concentration of substrate was also decreased in mixtures containing hexosaminidase. Under conditions of experimental cirrhosis total and, especially, non-sedimented activities of GAG-hydrolases as well as the rate of the enzymes penetration through lysosomal membranes were increased in liver tissue.