Enzyme Activities during Hepatic Injury Caused by Carbon Tetrachloride.

Rats injected with carbon tetrachloride show markedly elevated plasma glutamic oxalacetic transaminase and plasma fumarase but, at the same time, these enzyme activities do not decrease in the liver. Three mechanisms are proposed which may account for the increase in plasma enzymes: first, a transfer of the enzyme systems from the necrotized liver cell to the plasma; second, the synthesis of plasma enzymes as the response to hepatic injury; third, disruption of the mitochondrion.