Variations in thymidine phosphorylase activity in rat liver were studied in 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h after intraperitoneal bolus injection of 5-fluorouracil. Enzyme activity was measured by HPLC. A 2-fold decrease in enzyme activity was observed 3 h after 5-fluorouracil administration and persisted for 12 h. This additional effect of the cytostatic should be taken into account in choosing chemotherapy protocol.
Keywords: 5-fluorouracil; liver; rats; thymidine phosphorylase.