Lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase isoenzyme levels in the tissues and serum of normal lambs

Abstract

The normal activities of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase isoenzymes in the tissues and serum of clinically normal five-and-a-half-month-old lambs are presented. The percentage distribution of the lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes in serum, liver, heart, lung and skeletal muscle were in agreement with previous studies but the distribution in ovine abomasum, small intestine, large intestine and red blood cells has not been previously described. Up to five creatine kinase isoenzymes were detected in ovine tissues and four in serum. One creatine kinase isoenzyme present in serum and tissues was thought to represent a mitochondrial isoenzyme which is absent from the normal serum of other species. Estimations of both lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase isoenzymes allowed all the tissues examined to be distinguished and were therefore more likely to allow tissue-specific isoenzyme patterns to be detected in serum than the estimation of the isoenzymes of either enzyme alone.