Carboxylesterases in rat and human sera and their relationship of serum aryl acylamidases and cholinesterases.

The three enzyme activities, carboxylesterase, aryl acylamidase and cholinesterase activities, have been found in rat and human sera. Rat serum carboxylesterase associated with serum aryl acylamidase activity, but not with serum cholinesterase activity, was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, followed by successive chromatographies on DEAE-cellulose, blue Sepharose and QAE-Sephadex, and then electrophoresis. Evidence for the identity of the two enzymes, carboxylesterase and aryl acylamidase, was their co-elution profiles and co-purification in the different steps, including electrophoresis, with constant ratios of specific activities and percentage recoveries. Human serum carboxylesterase associated with serum cholinesterase, purified earlier, was compared with the rat serum esterase. Human serum carboxylesterase and aryl acylamidase activities were inhibited by serotonin and neostigmine, whereas rat serum carboxylesterase and aryl acylamidase activities were not affected by these compounds. Tyramine activated human but not rat aryl acylamidase. Rat and human serum esterase activities were both strongly inhibited by the diisopropylfluorophosphate. Both esterases catalyzed the hydrolysis of short-chain triacylglycerols, such as tributyrin, and medium-chain monoacylglycerols, such as monocaprin, but not the hydrolysis of long-chain triacylglycerols.