New Method for Determination of Aminolaevulinate Dehydratase Activity of Human Erythrocytes as an Index of Lead Exposure
- 1 October 1974
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Clinical Chemistry
- Vol. 20 (10) , 1287-1291
- https://doi.org/10.1093/clinchem/20.10.1287
Abstract
I describe a new method for measurement of aminolaevulinate dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.24) activity of human erythrocytes. In this method, the amount of substrate δ-aminolevulinic acid consumed (instead of the amount of porphobilinogen formed) is determined colorimetrically. In the incubation mixture, the δ-aminolevulinic acidpyrrole produced by the condensation of δ-aminolevulinic acid with ethyl acetoacetate is separated from porphobilinogen by extraction with ethyl acetate, without resorting to ion-exchange column chromatography. The pyrrole-containing extract is treated with a modified Ehrlich's reagent. Activity of the enzyme is expressed as micromoles of δ-aminolevulinic acid consumed per minute per liter of erythrocytes. Enzyme activity is more accurately estimated by the present method than by the usual method in which porphobilinogen is measured.Keywords
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