TRANSAMINATION IN MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY AND THE EFFECT OF EXOGENOUS GLUTAMATE: A STUDY ON VITAMIN E DEFICIENT RABBITS, AND MICE WITH HEREDITARY DYSTROPHY

Abstract

A study of transaminase enzymes in various tissues of different species was carried out. Rabbits were fed with a vitamin E deficient diet. Controls receiving vitamin E were maintained on the same diet. Animals were killed at intervals and the glutamic-aspartic transaminase (GOT) and the glutamic-alanine transaminase (GPT) levels were determined in the muscle, blood, and liver.Mice with hereditary muscular dystrophy and normal litter mates which served as controls were killed at different stages of the disease and GPT and GOT levels were also determined in the muscle, blood, and liver.Important variations between the two types of dystrophy were noticed. Variations in the levels of GPT and GOT were also significant in blood and liver of dystrophic rabbits.Exogenous glutamic acid was injected to vitamin E deprived rabbits. Body weight losses and the onset of the terminal stage of the disease were much postponed when compared to the vitamin E deprived rabbits which did not receive glutamic acid.A discussion of the possible role of glutamic acid in muscular dystrophy of vitamin E deprived rabbits is presented.