Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.6.1.2 (alanine aminotransferase)
 26,722 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We evaluated glutamine synthetase (GS) and alanine aminotransferase (GPT) activities in biopsied muscle from 40 cases of various neuromuscular diseases. GS and GPT catalyze the synthesis of glutamine and alanine, respectively, from amino acids derived in part from the breakdown of muscle proteins. The subjects were 7 cases of muscular dystrophy; 1 Duchenne type (DMD), 3 limb-girdle type, 2 facioscapulohumeral type (FSH), 1 Fukuyama type (FCMD); and 1 myotonic dystrophy (MyD); 5 mitochondrial myopathies; 11 inflammatory myopathies including 6 polymyositis and 3 myopathy associated with collagen disease; 5 endocrinological myopathies including 2 periodic paralysis; and, 11 cases of neurogenic amyotrophies [4 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), 4 spinal progressive muscular atrophy (SPMA) and 3 other types]. Control subjects were 8 patients with thigh operations. Biopsied muscle was homogenized and assayed for GS activity by the method of Smith et al.; GPT was assayed by commercial kit. Protein was assayed by the method of Lowry et al. Enzyme activities between mean -2SD and mean +2SD of controls were considered to be the normal range. GS activity in control subjects was 28.22 +/- 7.13 (mean +/- SD) nmol glutamine formed/mg protein/hr. Fifteen of 40 cases showed increased enzyme activity, including DMD and FCMD, the acute phase of polymyositis, and periodic paralysis. GPT activity in controls was 16.56 +/- 4.05 IU/mg protein. Sixteen of 40 patients showed increased enzyme activity: FCMD, FSH, MyD, inflammatory and endocrinological myopathy, and ALS. On the other hand, mitochondrial myopathy showed significantly decreased activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Studies on enzyme activities relating to amino acid mobilization in biopsied muscles]. 198 Jun 44

Tubular aggregates (TA) are unusual intramuscular structures stained basophilic on hematoxilin and eosin (HE) staining and red on modified Gomori trichrome (GT) staining. The structures are said to be originated from sarcoplasmic reticulum and are collections of tubules with double membranes on electron microscopic studies. The TA are usually seen in biopsy muscles from patients with muscle pain and cramps but without muscle weakness, periodic paralysis or alcoholic myopathy. In addition, there are five reports on families with progressive myopathy and tubular aggregates in the literature. We presented here a 48-year-old postman without any family history, who had had progressive muscle weakness for 17 years. He had never noticed pain or cramps in his muscles, not taken any particular medicine, and not had regular alcoholic beverages. There was no ptosis, facial weakness, masticatory muscle weakness or dysphagia. Muscle wasting, started from the proximal part of four extremities had progressed to the distal part of them. He could not walk on heels or toes and walked with waddling gait. He stood up with Gowers' maneuver. Serum GOT, GPT and CK were elevated. EMG showed myogenic pattern and MCV was normal. The muscle biopsies were performed; the first one taken from quadriceps femoris muscle at 42 years old showed myopathic changes including marked variation in fiber sizes, with scattered necrotic fiber splitting and TA in type 2B fibers. The second biopsy from biceps brachii muscle at the age of 48 years, showed densely proliferated fibrous tissues, marked variation fiber sizes and scattered split fibers. The TA were rarely seen and type 2B fibers were decreased in number.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[A case of progressive myopathy with tubular aggregates]. 268 70