Abstract
Ascorbic acid (AsA) and aflatoxin (AF) were administered to guinea pigs, and their hemoglobin concentrations and liver cytochrome P-450 levels were measured. In AsA deficiency, hemoglobin concentration was decreased. AF also lowered hemoglobin concentration. Liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 was decreased in AsA deficiency, but increased by AF administration. Since hemoglobin and cytochrome P-450 are both heme-proteins, activity of δ-aminolevulinic acid synthetase (ALAS), a rate-limiting enzyme in heme biosynthesis, was measured. ALAS activities in the liver and the bone-marrow were assayed respectively. ALAS in the liver was increased in proportion to the concentration of cytochrome P-450. However, ALAS in bone-marrow was increased in inverse proportion to blood hemoglobin concentration. Probably, in bone-marrow, ALAS will be increased to make a quick recovery from the whole body anemia.
