Isoelectric focusing comparison of human tissue esterases with those from normal and Bacillus Calmette-Guèrin-treated mice.

Nonspecific esterase activities of tissue extracts from randomly bred laboratory mice and human surgical and autopsy material have been compared following isoelectric focusing in acrylamide gel. The tissues studied include: murine: kidney, liver, lung, spleen, and red blood cells; human: kidney, liver, spleen, adenocarcinoma of the colon, and red blood cells. The following substrates were examined: a-naphthyl acetate, butyrate, caprylate and laurate, and naphthol AS acetate. No cleavage of caprylate or laurate esters was demonstrable. A total of 21 bands was obtained from murine tissues: 20 of the 21 cleaved naphthyl acetate; 19 of the 21 developed with a-naphthyl butyrate; and 14 of the 21 developed with naphthol AS acetate. With human extracts 15, 5, and 13 bands were obtained, respectively, with the above substrates. The inhibitory effects of diethyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate, formalin-acetone fixation, urea, and heat were recorded. By means of this assay system, we have detected a selective 6-fold increase in diethyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphateresistant cathodal esterases in the kidneys of mice following Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-induced stimulation of their reticuloendothelial systems.