Stidies on quantitative estimation of cytochrome P450 in human liver biopsy specimens by using micromethods

Abstract

Micromethods for preparing microsomal fraction and for quantitative estimation of cytochrome P450 (P450) were developed by using experimental animals in order to clarify a possibility for measurering multiple functional properties in ultra small liver biopsy specimen (ca 5mg) which remain after histilogical examination.
We were able to observe endoplasmic reticulums and ribosomes in the microsomal fraction using an electron microscope. And we were able to measure less than 100 femto moles of P450 with our method. The standard line of P450 was straight under 400 femto moles, whose correlation coefficient (r) was 0.975.
In some cases of liver diseases, contents of P450 were deviated from 0.1 to 0.3nmoles/mg microsomal protein. Especially, the specimen of liver cirrhosis contained (0.09nmoles/mg microsomal protein) the least amount of P450 and the specimen of chronic hepatitis contained (0.25nmoles/mg microsomal protein) the most in these cases.