Clofibrate feeding increases cytoplasmic but not mitochondrial malic enzyme activity in rat kidney cortex.

Administration of clofibrate for 21 days to rats increased the malic enzyme activity in the kidney cortex by about 80 per cent. This effect seems to be specific since the drug did not alter significantly the activity either of lactate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase or total mitochondrial protein content in this organ. The increase in activity of malic enzyme in the 13,000 g supernatant (extramitochondrial) fraction in rats treated with the drug was about 80 per cent, whereas in the pellet (mitochondrial fraction) it was about 40 per cent. The specific activity of malic enzyme in the kidney cortex cytosol from clofibrate-treated rats was about twice that in controls. In contrast clofibrate treatment did not affect its specific activity in isolated mitochondria. Calculations showed that 0.57 and 0.53 mumoles min-1 g-1 wet tissue of mitochondrial malic enzyme was obtained in control and clofibrate-treated rats respectively. Thus, clofibrate feeding increases the amount of cytoplasmic but not mitochondrial malic enzyme activity.