LYSOSOMAL ACID HYDROLASES IN MICE INFECTED WITH BCG

Experiments are reported dealing with the increase of lysosomal acid hydrolases induced by BCG infection. Acid hydrolases were determined quantitatively in peritoneal MP, liver homogenate, and plasma of normal and BCG-infected mice. A significant increase of acid phosphatase, β-glucuronidase, and cathepsin was found in MP and liver homogenate of BCG-infected mice. In plasma also a significant increase of acid phosphatase and β-glucuronidase was noticed. The results of the determination of the enzymes in centrifugally separated subcellular fractions of liver homogenate indicated clearly that the acid hydrolases associated mainly with the "large granular" fraction, which consists of mitochondria, lysosomes, and microsomes and that infection with BCG caused significant increase of the enzymes specifically in this fraction. Differences in the pattern of location among centrifugally separated fraction of liver homogenate were observed between acid phosphatase and the other two acid hydrolases. MP cultured in vitro doubled their acid phosphatases content within 24 hours, whereas β-glucuronidase rather decreased in the same cells.