Prostaglandin metabolism. II. Identification of two 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase types.

Homogenates of several mammalian tissues were measured by radioimmunoassay for 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase activity. Two types of enzyme activity were detected. One, which used NAD-plus as cofactor much more effectively than NADP-lus, was found in monkey lung, heart, liver, kidney, and spleen and in chicken heart and dog lung. A second type, which uses NADP-plus as a cofactor more effectively than NAD-plus, was found in monkey and human brain and red blood cells and in swine kidney. These two types of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase were partially purified from monkey brain and chicken heart. In addition to different cofactor requirements, the two partially purified enzymes could be distinguished by chromatographic properties, their relative affinities for prostaglandin I2 and F2alpha, and their sensitivities to inhibition by reduced pyridine nucleotides, thyroid hormones, and prostaglandin B2.