Multiple Forms of Catalase From Normal Human Liver, Hepatomas and Tumor-Bearing Livers

Multiple forms of catalase from normal human liver, hepatomas,fetal liver and tumor-bearing livers were examined by the methodof DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. In normal adult humanliver, three peaks were found by addition of 0.05 M, 0.1 M and0.2 M NaCl in 0.01 M phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), and no catalaseactivity was detected in the unadsorbed fraction. On the otherhand, in human hepatomas, fetal liver and tumor-bearing livers,an existence of the unadsorbed catalase fraction was ascertained.It is suggested that the presence of the unadsorbed catalaseon DEAE-cellulose may be ascribed to the dedifferentiated natureof liver tissues. Furthermore, no difference in molecular sizebetween the unadsorbed catalase and the adsorbed one was confirmedby gel filtration on Sephadex G-200. ^*This study was presented at the 9th Annual Meeting of the JapaneseHepatological Society, Tokyo, July, 1973, and 32nd Annual Meetingof the Japanese Cancer Association, Tokyo, October, 1973.