Comparisons of maltase activities in kidney brush border membranes from normal, diabetic, glucose-infused and maltose-infused rabbits.

The specific activities of membrane-bound maltase (alpha-D-glucoside glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.20) in isolated brush border membranes (BBMs) of alloxan-induced diabetic, glucose-infused and maltose-infused rabbits were 30%, 140% and 160%, respectively, of those of control rabbits. Differences in the relative activities of trehalase (EC 3.2.1.28), another disaccharidase, in these groups were similar but less marked. However, the activities of two other marker enzymes of the brush border, alkaline-phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, were similar in the 4 groups of rabbits. The decreases in the activities of the two disaccharidases were due to changes in the Vmax values of the enzymes without change in their Km values for maltose and trehalose. The maltase activities in the 4 groups showed similar dependences on Tris-HCl, KCl and NaCl. The electrophoretic profiles of the BBMs of the 4 groups on SDS-polyacrylamide gel showed slight differences. From these results, we conclude that diabetes, glucose infusion and maltose infusion probably change the concentrations of active enzymes in the BBM of the kidney in rabbits.