L-Ascorbic acid and lysosomal acid hydrolase activities of guinea pig liver and brain

The effects of L-ascorbic acid deficiency on guinea pig hepatic and brain lysosomal hydrolases were examined. In general, hepatic β-N-acetylhexosaminidase, β-D-glucoronidase, α-D-galactosidase, α-D-mannosidase, and acid phosphatase were elevated in scorbutic animals. This appears to be independent of the starved state. Brain β-D-glucoronidase and acid phosphatase followed a similar pattern to that observed with the liver enzymes, but brain β-N-acetylhexosaminidase was not affected by L-ascorbic acid deficiency. Supplementing the in vitro assay system with L-ascorbic acid decreased the activity of hepatic β-N-acetylhexosaminidase somewhat but had no effect on the brain enzyme. Serum total β-N-acetylhexosaminidase was unaffected by dietary treatments although the activity of β-N- acetylhexosaminidase A tended to increase in the scorbutic animals. Subcellular fractions were obtained from the three groups of animals and the recoveries of protein, β-N-acetylhexosaminidase, and glucose-6-phosphatase estimated.