Plasma lysosomal enzymes after liver transplantation in the pig.

During liver transplantation in the pig, the plasma activities of beta-galactosidase, beta-glucuronidase and beta-glucosidase were elevated as early as 15 min after establishing the hepatic circulation. The enzyme activities peaked at 3 h and returned to the initial level within 2-3 days. However, such substantial alterations were not observed in other enzymes, alpha-mannosidase and alpha-glucosidase. Similar reactions to those of the first three enzymes were found in aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase but with later peaks and slower eliminations. In light of the current study, the serial estimation of acid hydrolases may be useful to discover the extent of tissue injury and also to evaluate the effectiveness of various organ-preservation methods.