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Differential response of the NADH oxidase of plasma membranes of rat liver and hepatoma and HeLa cells to thiol reagents.

NADH oxidase activity of plasma membranes from rat hepatoma and HeLa cells responded to thiol reagents in a manner different from that of plasma membranes of liver. Specifically, the NADH oxidase activity of plasma membranes of HeLa cells was inhibited by submicromolar concentrations of the thiol reagents p-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB), N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), or 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrophenylbenzoic acid) (DTNB), whereas that of the rat liver plasma membranes was unaffected or stimulated over a wide range of concentrations extending into the millimolar range. With some hepatoma preparations, the NADH oxidase activity of hepatoma plasma membranes was stimulated rather than inhibited by PCMB, whereas with all preparations of hepatoma plasma membranes, NEM and DTNB stimulated the activity. In contrast, NADH oxidase activity of rat liver plasma membrane was largely unaffected over the same range of PCMB concentrations that either stimulated or inhibited with rat hepatoma or HeLa cell plasma membranes. Dithiothreitol and glutathione stimulated NADH oxidase activity of plasma membranes of rat liver and hepatoma but inhibited that of HeLa plasma membranes. The findings demonstrate a difference between the NADH oxidase activity of normal rat liver plasma membranes of rat hepatoma and HeLa cell plasma membranes in addition to the differential response to growth factors and hormones reported previously (Bruno et al., 1992). Results are consistent with a structural modification of a NADH oxidase activity involving thiol groups present in plasma membranes of rat hepatoma and HeLa cells but absent or inaccessible with plasma membranes of rat liver.

Animals↗

The impact of the thermal sensitivity of cytochrome c oxidase on the respiration rate of Arctic charr red muscle mitochondria. pierre_blier@uqar.qc.ca.

To assess if cytochrome c oxidase could determine the response of mitochondrial respiration to changes in environmental temperature in ectotherms, we performed KCN titration of the respiration rate and cytochrome c oxidase activity in mitochondria from Arctic charr (Salvelinusfontinalis) muscle at four different temperatures (1 degrees C, 6 degrees C, 12 degrees C, and 18 degrees C). Our data showed an excess of cytochrome c oxidase activity over the mitochondrial state 3 respiration rate. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption rates reached approximately 12% of the cytochrome c oxidase maximal capacity at every temperature. Also, following titration, the mitochondrial respiration rate significantly decreased when KCN reached concentrations that inhibit almost 90% of the cytochrome c oxidase activity. This strongly supports the idea that the thermal sensitivity of the maximal mitochondrial respiration rate cannot be dictated by the effect of temperature on cytochrome c oxidase catalytic capacity. Furthermore, the strong similarity of the Q10s of mitochondrial respiration and cytochrome c oxidase activity suggests a functional or structural link between the two. The functional link could be coevolution of parts of the mitochondrial system to maintain optimal functions in most of the temperature range encountered by organisms.

Animals↗

Characterization of recombinant barley oxalate oxidase expressed by Pichia pastoris.

Oxalate oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of oxalate to carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide, making it useful for clinical analysis of oxalate in biological fluids. An artificial gene for barley oxalate oxidase has been used to produce functional recombinant enzyme in a Pichia pastoris heterologous expression system, yielding 250 mg of purified oxalate oxidase from 5 L of fermentation medium. The recombinant oxalate oxidase was expressed as a soluble, hexameric 140 kDa glycoprotein containing 0.2 g-atom Mn/monomer with a specific activity of 10 U/mg, similar to the properties reported for enzyme isolated from barley. No superoxide dismutase activity was detected in the recombinant oxalate oxidase. EPR spectra indicate that the majority of the manganese in the protein is present as Mn(II), and are consistent with the six-coordinate metal center reported in the recent X-ray crystal structure for barley oxalate oxidase. The EPR spectra change when bulky anions such as iodide bind, indicating conversion to a five-coordinate complex. Addition of oxalate perturbs the EPR spectrum of the Mn(II) sites, providing the first characterization of the substrate complex. The optical absorption spectrum of the concentrated protein contains features associated with a minor six-coordinate Mn(III) species, which disappears on addition of oxalate. EPR spin-trapping experiments indicate that carboxylate free radicals (CO2*-) are transiently produced by the enzyme in the presence of oxalate, most likely during reduction of the Mn(III) sites. These features are incorporated into a turnover mechanism for oxalate oxidase.

Carboxylic Acids↗

Zinc ions as cytochrome C oxidase inhibitors: two sites of action.

Zinc ions are shown to be an efficient inhibitor of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase activity, both in the solubilized and the liposome-reconstituted enzyme. The effect of zinc is biphasic. First there occurs rapid interaction of zinc with the enzyme at a site exposed to the aqueous phase corresponding to the mitochondrial matrix. This interaction is fully reversed by EDTA and results in a partial inhibition of the enzyme activity (50-90%, depending on preparation) with an effective K(i) of approximately 10 microM. The rapid effect of zinc is observed with the solubilized enzyme, it vanishes upon incorporation of cytochrome oxidase in liposomes, and it re-appears when proteoliposomes are supplied with alamethicin that makes the membrane permeable to low molecular weight substances. Zinc presumably blocks the entrance of the D-protonic channel opening into the inner aqueous phase. Second, zinc interacts slowly (tens of minutes, hours) with a site of cytochrome oxidase accessible from the outer aqueous phase bringing about complete inhibition of the enzymatic activity. The slow phase is characterized by high affinity of the inhibitor for the enzyme: full inhibition can be achieved upon incubation of the solubilized oxidase for 24 h with zinc concentration as low as 2 microM. The rate of zinc inhibitory action in the slow phase is proportional to Zn(2+) concentration. The slow interaction of zinc with the outer surface of liposome-reconstituted cytochrome oxidase is observed only with the enzyme turning over or in the presence of weak reductants, whereas incubation of zinc with the fully oxidized proteoliposomes does not induce the inhibition. It is shown that zinc ions added to cytochrome oxidase proteoliposomes from the outside inhibit specifically the slow electrogenic phase of proton transfer, coupled to a transition of cytochrome oxidase from the oxo-ferryl to the oxidized state (the F --> O step corresponding to transfer of the 4th electron in the catalytic cycle).

Animals↗

Cytochrome c oxidase subunit IV is essential for assembly and respiratory function of the enzyme complex.

Cytochrome c oxidase or complex IV, catalyzes the final step in mitochondrial electron transfer chain, and is regarded as one of the major regulation sites for oxidative phosphorylation. This enzyme is controlled by both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Among its 13 subunits, three are encoded by mitochondrial DNA and ten by nuclear DNA. In this work, an RNA interference approach was taken which led to the generation of mouse A9 cell derivatives with suppressed expression of nuclear-encoded subunit IV (COX IV) of this complex. The amounts of this subunit are decrease by 86% to 94% of normal level. A detail biosynthetic and functional analysis of several cell lines with suppressed COX IV expression revealed a loss of assembly of cytochrome c oxidase complex and, correspondingly, a reduction in cytochrome c oxidase-dependent respiration and total respiration. Furthermore, dysfunctional cytochrome c oxidase in the cells leads to a compromised mitochondrial membrane potential, a decreased ATP level, and failure to grow in galactose medium. Interestingly, suppression of COX IV expression also sensitizes the cells to apoptosis. These observations provide the evidence of the essential role of the COX IV subunit for a functional cytochrome c oxidase complex and also demonstrate a tight control of cytochrome c oxidase over oxidative phosphorylation. Finally, our results further shed some insights into the pathogenic mechanism of the diseases caused by dysfunctional cytochrome c oxidase complex.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Characterization of the membrane-associated thiol oxidase activity of rat small-intestinal epithelium.

The membrane-associated thiol oxidase of rat small-intestinal epithelium was studied to determine its subcellular localization and properties. The brush-border and basal-lateral regions of the plasma membrane were isolated by density-gradient centrifugation in Percoll. The intestinal oxidase was localized by use of marker enzymes to the basal-lateral region of the plasma membrane. The reaction stoichiometry and activity with a variety of low-molecular-weight thiols were determined. The oxidase activity was inhibited by EDTA, bathocuproine disulfonate, N-ethylmaleimide, and H2O2; this suggests that copper and a sulfhydryl group are involved in catalysis. Oxidase activity in EDTA-treated basal-lateral membranes was reconstituted with CuSO4, which suggests the requirement for copper. These results show that the intestinal oxidase is very similar to the renal oxidase, and because of the subcellular localization and accessibility to extracellular thiols, suggests that the intestinal oxidase may be important in the maintenance of the plasma thiol:disulfide ratio.

Animals↗

Purification and properties of sulfhydryl oxidase from bovine pancreas.

Immunofluorescent studies showed that antibodies prepared against bovine milk sulfhydryl oxidase reacted with acinar cells of porcine and bovine pancreas. A close inspection of the specific location within bovine pancreatic cells revealed that the zymogen granules, themselves, bound the fluorescent antibody. Bovine pancreatic tissue was homogenized in 0.3 M sucrose, then separated into the zymogen granule fraction by differential centrifugation. The intact zymogen granules were immunofluorescent positive when incubated with antibodies to bovine milk sulfhydryl oxidase, and glutathione-oxidizing activity was detected under standard assay conditions. Pancreatic sulfhydryl oxidase was purified from the zymogen fraction by precipitation with 50% saturated ammonium sulfate, followed by Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography. Active fractions were pooled and subjected to covalent affinity chromatography on cysteinylsuccinamidopropyl-glass using 2 mM glutathione as eluant at 37 degrees C. The specific activity of bovine pancreatic sulfhydryl oxidase thus isolated was 10-20 units/mg protein using 0.8 mM glutathione as substrate. Ouchterlony double-diffusion studies showed that antibody directed against the purified bovine milk enzyme reacted identically with pancreatic sulfhydryl oxidase. The antibody also immunoprecipitated glutathione-oxidizing activity from crude pancreatic homogenates. Western blotting analysis indicated a 90,000 Mr antigen-reactive band in both bovine milk and pancreatic fractions while sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a single silver-staining protein with an apparent Mr 300,000. Thus, we believe that sulfhydryl oxidase may exist in an aggregated molecular form. Bovine pancreatic sulfhydryl oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of low-molecular-weight thiols such as glutathione, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, and glycylglycyl-L-cysteine, as well as that of a high-molecular-weight protein substrate, reductively denatured pancreatic ribonuclease A.

Animals↗

Cytochrome c-cytochrome oxidase interaction at subzero temperatures.

Cytochrome oxidase forms two distinctive compounds with oxygen at --105 and --90 degrees C, one appears to be oxycytochrome oxidase (Compound A) and the other peroxycytochrome oxidase (Compound B). The functional role of compound B in the oxidation of cytochrome c has been examined in a variety of mitochondrial preparations. The rate and the extent of the reaction have been found to be dependent upon the presence of a fluid phase in the vicinity of the site of the reaction of cytochrome c and cytochrome oxidase. The kinetics of cytochrome c oxidation and of the slowly reacting component of cytochrome oxidase are found to be linked to one another even in cytochrome c depleted preparations, but under appropriate conditions, especially low temperatures, the oxidation of cytochrome c precedes that of this component of cytochrome oxidase. Based upon the identification of the slowly reacting components of cytochrome oxidase with cytochrome c, various mechanisms are considered which allow cytochrome c to be oxidized without the intervention of cytochrome a at very low temperatures, and tunneling seems an appropriate mechanism.

Animals↗

Studies of the orientation of the mitochondrial redox carriers. III. Orientation of the gx and gy axes of the hemes of cytochrome oxidase with respect to the plane of the membrane in oriented membrane multilayers.

The EPR absorption properties of the hemes of cytochrome oxidase and their liganded derivatives were examined in oriented multilayers from isolated oxidase, mitochondrial membranes and membrane fragments of a bacterium, Paracoccus denitrificans. The hemes of the oxidase in all the systems investigated were oriented normal to the plane of the multilayers. The directions of the g signals corresponding to the gx and gy axes of the g tensor were found to be different in low-spin ferric heme in fully oxidized oxidase and in half-reduced liganded oxidase. It is suggested that this different orientation of gx and gy in fully oxidized oxidase and half-reduced liganded oxidase arises because the respective EPR signals belong to two different hemes, those of cytochrome a and a3.

Animals↗

Copper and manganese electron spin resonance studies of cytochrome c oxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans.

The two-subunit cytochrome c oxidase from Paracoccus denitrificans contains two heme a groups and two copper atoms. However, when the enzyme is isolated from cells grown on a commonly employed medium, its electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrum reveals not only a Cu(II) powder pattern, but also a hyperfine pattern from tightly bound Mn(II). The pure Mn(II) spectrum is observed at -40 degrees C; the pure Cu(II) spectrum can be seen with cytochrome c oxidase from P. denitrificans cells that had been grown in a Mn(II)-depleted medium. This Cu(II) spectrum is very similar to that of cytochrome c oxidase from yeast or bovine heart. Manganese is apparently not an essential component of P. denitrificans cytochrome c oxidase since it is present in substoichometric amounts relative to copper or heme a and since the manganese-free enzyme retains essentially full activity in oxidizing ferrocytochrome c. However, the manganese is not removed by EDTA and its EPR spectrum responds to the oxidation state of the oxidase. In contrast, manganese added to the yeast oxidase or to the manganese-free P. denitrificans enzyme can be removed by EDTA and does not respond to the oxidation state of the enzyme. This suggests that the manganese normally associated with P. denitrificans cytochrome c oxidase is incorporated into one or more internal sites during the biogenesis of the enzyme.

Animals↗

The role of subunit III in bovine cytochrome c oxidase. Comparison between native, subunit III-depleted and Paracoccus denitrificans enzymes.

In order to obtain information on the role of subunit III in the function and aggregation state of cytochrome c oxidase, the kinetics of ferrocytochrome c oxidation by the bovine cytochrome c oxidase depleted of its subunit III were studied and compared with those of the oxidase isolated from P. denitrificans which contains only two subunits. The aggregation state of both enzymes dispersed in dodecyl maltoside was also compared. The two-subunit oxidase from P. denitrificans gave linear Eadie-Hofstee plots and the enzyme resulted to be monomeric (Mr = 82 000) both, in gel filtration and sucrose gradient centrifugation studies. The bovine heart subunit III depleted enzyme, under conditions when the P. denitrificans cytochrome c oxidase was in the form of monomers, was found to be dimeric by sucrose gradient centrifugation analysis. At lower enzyme concentrations monomers were, however, detected by gel filtration. Depletion of subunit III was accompanied by the loss of small polypeptides (VIa, VIb and VIIa) and of almost all phospholipid (1-2 molecules were left per molecule of enzyme). The electron-transfer activity of the subunit III-depleted enzyme showed a monophasic Eadie-Hofstee plot, which upon addition of phospholipids became non-linear, similar to that of the control bovine cytochrome c oxidase. One of the roles of subunit III may be that of stabilising the dimers of cytochrome c oxidase. Lack of this subunit and loss of phospholipid is accompanied by a change in the kinetics of electron transfer, which might be the consequence of enzyme monomerisation.

Animals↗

Purification and characterization of an O2-utilizing cytochrome-c oxidase complex from Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroid membranes.

A cytochrome-c (cyt c) oxidase supercomplex consisting of 7-8 subunits and possessing a mass of 358-425 kDa was purified from Bradyrhizobium japonicum bacteroid membranes. At least two subunits possess c-type heme as a prosthetic group. One of the c-heme-containing components was detected in bacteroid membranes, but not in free-living cells. The complex also contains b-heme, and both b-type and c-type heme proteins were spectrophotometrically shown to form complexes with carbon monoxide. A CO difference spectrum showed an absorption minimum (trough) at 551.7 nm, possibly corresponding to a previously described cyt c-552 in bacteroid membranes. 1 mM quinacrine (Atebrin) had no effect on O2 uptake by the cytochrome-c oxidase complex, but 10 mM inhibited O2 uptake by 90%. Cytochromes b and c1 of the cytochrome bc1 respiratory complex were identified as two of the components of the bacteroid complex based upon immunoreaction with antibodies against these two proteins from B. japonicum. The oxidase complex oxidized exogenously added horse heart ferrocytochrome c concomitant with the uptake of oxygen. It could also oxidize the artificial electron donor N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine in the absence of added cytochrome c. Oxygen uptake activity was completely inhibited by 10 microM NaCN and 38% by 0.1 microM NaCN. The oxidase complex was not able to oxidize a ubiquinol homolog possessing a single isoprenoid unit side chain. Solubilization of bacteroid membranes in the presence of 1.0 mM EDTA resulted in complete loss of cytochrome-c oxidase activity. Leghemoglobin deoxygenation data indicated that the oxidase complex can efficiently function at free oxygen concentrations well below 1.0 microM, even though attempts to determine the oxidase's specific affinity oxygen were unsuccessful due to the formation of oxidized leghemoglobin derivatives.

Cytochrome b Group↗

A comparison of three preparations of cytochrome c oxidase. Optical absorbance spectra, EPR spectra and reaction towards ligands.

Three preparations of cytochrome c oxidase, the preparation as traditionally prepared in our laboratory as described by Van Buuren (1992; PhD Thesis, University of Amsterdam), a preparation according to Volpe and Caughey (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 61 (1974) 502-509) and a preparation of 'fast' cytochrome c oxidase (Brandt, U., Schägger, H. and Von Jagow, G. (1989) Eur. J. Biochem. 182, 705-711), are compared in their reaction with cyanide and carbon monoxide. The reaction with cyanide is nearly as fast for the Van Buuren preparation as for the 'fast' preparation, but much slower for the Volpe-Caughey preparation. Mixed-valence cytochrome c oxidase (cytochrome a3 and CuB reduced with carbon monoxide bound and cytochrome a and CuA oxidized) is prepared by anaerobic incubation with carbon monoxide. With the Van Buuren preparation complete formation of the species takes 4 h, whereas with the Volpe-Caughey preparation it takes 20 h. Longer incubation under CO results in partial reduction of cytochrome a and CuA. With the 'fast' preparation mixed-valence cytochrome c oxidase is formed after more than one day of incubation with CO, but it is stable for at least 3 days. The presence of oxidized cytochrome c did enhance the reactivity towards cyanide and towards carbon monoxide in cytochrome c oxidase of all three preparations. Furthermore, optical and EPR spectra of the preparations of cytochrome c oxidase are compared. The Volpe-Caughey preparation has an intense g' = 12 EPR-signal, the Van Buuren preparation has hardly any g' = 12 signal and the 'fast' preparation has no g' = 12 signal. In the 'fast' preparation the low-spin heme signal is shifted (from g = 3.00 to g = 2.97). The absorbance spectra of the three preparations in the Soret region are similar with a maximum at 424 nm. Only the 'fast' preparation as isolated was completely oxidized, whereas the other preparations were partially reduced. It was concluded that differences in the reaction of cytochrome c oxidase with ligands are determined by the internal or external ligand bound to the cytochrome a3-CuB couple.

Carbon Monoxide↗

Antitumor sulfonylurea-inhibited NADH oxidase of cultured HeLa cells shed into media.

Conditioned culture media of HeLa S cells contain a soluble NADH oxidase activity inhibited by the antitumor sulfonylurea, N-(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)-N' -(4-chlorophenyl)urea (LY181984) similar to that associated with the outer surface of the plasma membrane. This activity was absent from media in which cells had not been grown and was present in conditioned culture media from which cells had been removed by centrifugation both for serum-containing and serum-free media. The Km with respect to NADH and response to thiol reagents were similar to those of the corresponding activity of the plasma membrane of HeLa cells. The conditioned HeLa culture media bound [3H]LY181984 with high affinity. Both antitumor sulfonylurea-inhibited and -resistant forms of the NADH oxidase were isolated by free-flow electrophoresis. The antitumor sulfonylurea-inhibited activity was purified to apparent homogeneity and was identified with a 33.5 kDa protein with an isoelectric point of about pH 4.5. The 33.5 kDa protein from conditioned HeLa culture medium both bound [3H]LY181984 and retained an LY181984-inhibited NADH oxidase activity. A polyclonal antisera was raised in rabbits to the purified 33.5 kDa constituent from conditioned HeLa culture medium. The antisera blocked the activity of the LY181984-inhibited NADH oxidase activity, immunoprecipitated the activity and reacted with a 33.5 kDa protein on Western blots while preimmune sera did not. Also inhibited and immunoprecipitated was NADH oxidase activity from HeLa plasma membranes. The findings are consistent with the 33.5 kDa drug-inhibited NADH oxidase activity of the culture media being a shed form of the corresponding native 34 kDa antitumor sulfonylurea-inhibited NADH oxidase activity of the HeLa cell plasma membrane.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

The effect of nitrite on cytochrome oxidase.

Nitrite inhibits the oxygen uptake by the system ferrocytochrome c-cytochrome oxidase with Ki = 1.5 mM. In the absence of ferrocytochrome c the oxygen uptake by cytochrome oxidase in the presence of nitrite was observed indicating that the enzyme has some nitrite oxidase activity. Nitrite induces changes in optical difference spectra of cytochrome oxidase and, in particular, the formation of the transient band at 607 nm. The reciprocal relation was observed between the intensity of this band and the rate of the oxygen uptake by cytochrome oxidase. This means that the form of the enzyme with this band does not involved in the nitrite oxidase activity. It is suggested that the nitrite oxidase activity relates to the oxygen binding site rather than the cytochrome c binding site of the enzyme.

Animals↗

Interaction of drugs with a model membrane protein. Effect of dibucaine on cytochrome oxidase proteoliposomes.

Cytochrome oxidase is a mitochondrial trans-membrane protein which catalyzes the vectorial transfer of electrons from cytochrome c to molecular oxygen. When the oxidase was incorporated into liposomes composed of saturated phospholipids, enzymatic activity was reduced as compared to the activity of either the isolated enzyme or the enzyme incorporated into soy bean phospholipid (asolectin) liposomes. This reduced activity probably resulted from partial replacement of retained oxidase boundary lipid with exogenously added lipid and an unfavourable orientation of a portion of the oxidase molecules for reaction with externally added substrate. On the other hand, substrate binding at the low affinity site was enhanced by incorporation of the oxidase into vesicles composed of either saturated phospholipids or asolectin. At pH 7.4 the local anesthetic dibucaine behaved as an uncompetitive inhibitor of the enzyme, while at pH 6.0 the inhibition pattern became mixed in type. Dibucaine had similar effects on both the isolated and incorporated enzyme except that, in general, the anesthetic caused less inhibition of the incorporated oxidase. It is postulated that positively charged anesthetic molecules act predominantly by competing with substrate for binding while non-charged anesthetic molecules interact with the oxidase boundary lipid to form non-productive complexes.

Animals↗

Inhibition of cytochrome oxidase by dibucaine.

Dibucaine-HCl inhibited mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase activity in intact mitochondria with 50% inhibition occurring at 1.1 mM dibucaine-HCl. Dibucaine-HCl did not prevent the reduction of cytochrome oxidase by ascorbate plus N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride (TMPD) when measured at 604 nm but prevented 50% of the absorbance change at 445 nm; dithionite reduced the oxidase completely. Dibucaine prevented binding of CO to oxidase reduced with ascorbate plus TMPD by preventing the reduction of cytochrome a3. The midpotenials of cytochrome c and cytochrome oxidase, the visible absorbance wavelength maxima, and the position and intensity of the signals of the EPR spectrum of the oxidase were not affected. Dibucaine-HCl prevented ascorbate plus TMPD-driven reduction of the near infra-red detectable copper center associated with cytochrome a: dithionite subsequently reduced this center. Dibucaine-HCl inhibited cytochrome oxidase activity by interacting between cytochrome a and its associated copper. Since respiration was 8-fold less sensitive in submitochondrial particles, this site of inhibition is on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane.

Animals↗

Serum copper oxidase activity (coeruloplasmin) in chronic pancreatitis: inverse correlation with pancreatic exocrine function.

Serum copper oxidase activity (coeruloplasmin, ferroxidase, I, EC 1.16.3.1) and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) were estimated in 43 patients with chronic pancreatitis; total serum copper was also measured in 23 patients. Pancreatic exocrine function was assessed in all patients and compared with the respective copper oxidase activities. The following results emerged: (1) there was a strong positive linear relationship between total serum copper and serum copper oxidase activity; (2) in 34 patients CRP was undetectable Twenty-six patients were untreated and eight had received pancreatic extracts for variable periods of time. In the untreated patients there was an inverse correlation between serum copper oxidase activity and pancreatic exocrine function; (3) in the eight treated patients serum cooper oxidase activity was less than in untreated patients; (4) in three patients who were assessed before and six months after administration of pancreatic extracts serum copper oxidase activity showed a significant reduction with treatment; (5) nine patients with elevated CRP values also had raised serum copper oxidase activities but there was no correlation between these two serum constituents. The rise in serum copper which occurs in uncomplicated and untreated chronic pancreatitis does not represent an acute phase reaction. Our results provide further evidence that the pancreas assists in regulating copper metabolism in man.

Adult↗