Inhibition of rat liver and kidney arginase by cadmium ion.

Cadmium ion activates arginase from many species of organisms but is an inhibitor of arginase from many other species. The purpose of this study was to investigate the inhibition of rat liver and kidney arginase by cadmium ion. Rat kidney arginase was inhibited by much lower concentrations of cadmium ion than rat liver arginase. Cadmium ion was a mixed noncompetitive inhibitor of both rat liver and kidney arginase. Cadmium ion enhanced the substrate activation of rat kidney arginase while still inhibiting the enzyme. Cadmium ion prevented the substrate inhibition of rat kidney arginase by fluoride while still inhibiting the enzyme. Cadmium ion also inhibited rat kidney arginase in the presence of manganese ion.