Intracellular sorting of lysosomal beta-glucuronidase is altered due to administration of dibutyl phosphate

Organophosphate compounds are known to cause a selective increase of beta-glucuronidase activity in rat serum. Previous data suggested that increase of serum beta-glucuronidase activity was well correlated with decrease of that activity in rat liver microsomal fraction, thereby, suggesting a role of the microsomal enzyme in mediating the organophosphate effect. To investigate further the intracellular sorting pathway of beta-glucuronidase in dibutyl phosphate-treated rats, liver subcellular fractions were prepared at 12 or 48 h after in vivo administration of [3H]leucine and it was established that microsomal beta-glucuronidase was the origin of the increased serum enzyme. To characterize the intracellular secretory pathway of beta-glucuronidase in dibutyl phosphate-treated rats, Golgi subfractions were isolated and a time course study was carried out. At 30 min after administration of dibutyl phosphate, specific activity of beta-glucuronidase in GF-2 (Golgi intermediate fraction) and GF-3 (Golgi heavy fraction) was significantly increased to the maximum. Furthermore, colchicine pretreatment of rats caused a delay of the peak of specific activity for 30 min in GF-2 and GF-3, and accumulation of enzyme activity in Golgi subfractions was observed. Colchicine pretreatment also had an inhibitory effect on release of beta-glucuronidase into serum until 30 min after dibutyl phosphate injection. The electrophoretic pattern of microsomal beta-glucuronidase on polyacrylamide gel was found to show two major bands of microsomal enzyme type and lysosomal enzyme type in dibutyl phosphate-treated rats. Taken together, these findings indicate that microsomal beta-glucuronidase follows the intracellular secretory pathway and is secreted into serum via Golgi complex in response to dibutyl phosphate.