Also called Serum Glutamic Pyruvate Transaminase (SGPT) or Alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), an enzyme present in hepatocytes (liver cells). When a cell is damaged, it leaks this enzyme into the blood.
An enzyme (formerly called serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase [SGPT]) that is elevated in patients with liver disease or may be increased by certain psychiatric medications. Because most psychiatric medications are metabolized in the liver, psychiatrists may periodically check the levels of this enzyme, especially in patients who are taking medications reported to increase this and other liver enzymes.