Marked proliferation of rat hepatic peroxisomes is observed after treatment with a new potent hypolipidemic drug BM 15766, as well as after bezafibrate. Whereas the relative specific activity of the peroxisomal fatty acid βoxidation system is not affected by BM 15766 it is significantly increased after bezafibrate. This is also confirmed by immunoblot analysis of individual β-oxidation enzymes in highly purified peroxisome fractions. These observations suggest that peroxisome proliferation and the induction of the fatty acid β-oxidation are regulated separately.
