AGE AND SEX DEPENDENCE OF THE EFFECTS OF AN AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF PHYSALIS-ALKEKENGI FRUITS ON RAT HEPATIC GLUCOSE 6-P DEHYDROGENASE-ACTIVITY

Intraperitoneal injections of an aqueous extract of winter cherry frui ts (Physalis alkekengi) to new-born, weanling and adult female rats an d to weanling and adult male rats had no effect on body weight, liver weight and liver cytosol protein content, The specific activities of h epatic glucose 6-P dehydrogenase (an estrogen induced protein) in rats of different age and sex groups in terms of mU/mg protein were: treat ed new-born females, 15.9 +/- 0.5; control, 29.1 +/- 0.6; treated wean ling females, 14.9 +/- 0.3; control, 24.8 +/- 0.7; treated adult femal es, 25.7 +/- 0.5; control, 26.1 +/- 0.5; treated weanling males, 7.9 /- 0.2; control, 7.9 +/- 0.1; treated adult males, 9.6 +/- 0.4; and co ntrol, 9.7 +/- 0.3, Treatment of new-born and weanling female rats wit h the extract resulted in 40-45% reduction in hepatic G6PD activity, H owever, treatment of adult females, and weanling and adult males produ ced no significant change in the activity of this enzyme, The data are discussed both in terms of the increase in the capacity of rodent liv er to metabolize steroidal compounds with age and the presence of low levels of circulating estradiol necessary for enzyme induction in male rats.