Abstract
Tissue activities of alanine aminotransferase (AlAT), aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT), sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and creatine kinase (CK) were determined in three cetacean species: the bottlenosed dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, beluga whale, Delphinapterus leucas, and harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena. Liver was the principal source of AlAT and SDH activity; GGT and ALP were concentrated in kidney. Muscle tissues showed the highest CK and AspAT activity, although most other tissues had appreciable AspAT activity. Based on tissue specificity, plasma AlAT and SDH are recommended for use in diagnosing hepatic disorders. Plasma GGT may have potential value in assessing the type of hepatobiliary damage caused by trematodes in cetaceans; ALP has no obvious advantage over GGT. Creatine kinase elevations in plasma would indicate muscle damage or exercise stress, while plasma AspAT may reflect either muscle or liver release and must be used in conjunction with other more tissue-specific enzymes. Reference plasma enzyme activities determined in healthy captive T. truncatus showed significant procedure-related differences that must be considered when circulating enzymes are used in research or diagnosis. Key words: enzymes, tissues, plasma, Cetacea, stress
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