SERUM COLLAGENASE ACTIVITY REFLECTS THE AMOUNT OF LIVER COLLAGENASE IN CHRONIC CARBON TETRACHLORIDE-TREATED RATS

To examine whether serum collagenase activity reflects the amount of c ollagenase activity in the fibrotic liver of rats, we simultaneously m easured serum and hepatic collagenase activities in rats with carbon t etrachloride-induced liver injury. Serum collagenase was measured afte r reactivation by denaturing and dissociating the inhibitors with pota ssium thiocyanate and aminophenylmercuric acetate, while hepatic colla genase was measured after the removal of plasma protein and activation with aminophenylmercuric acetate. Serum and hepatic collagenase activ ities increased in the carbon tetrachloride-treated rats with the prog ression of liver fibrosis, and both activities of collagenase were clo sely correlated each other. These results' suggest that serum collagen ase activity measured in these assay conditions could be used as a non invasive marker for hepatic collagenolysis in carbon tetrachloride-tre ated rats.