Glutamate Pyruvate Transminase Research Articles

The Probable Significance of Hypertriglyceridaemia in Viral Hepatitis*

It is proposed that the raised serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity (SGPT) in viral hepatitis reflects an adaptive increase in glutamic pyruvic transminase in muscle for the increased transamination of alanine for post-absorptive glucose homeostasis. However, in a disease where the SGPT is elevated for four to six weeks, muscle cannot be an indefinite source of alanine unless it could, concurrently, resynthesize alanine. Since the two substrates of muscle are glucose and fat, fasting blood sugars, serum triglycerides and SGPT were estimated weekly, for one month, in 12 children with viral hepatitis. This was done to see if there was evidence of increased substrate availability for alanine synthesis, and whether any relationship existed between increased substrate availability and SGPT. The results show that there is a relationship between triglycerides and SGPT. This suggests that the hypertriglyceridaemia, by providing substrate to meet the energy requirements of muscle, spares glucose for alanine synthesis to maintain the alanine content of muscle. The paper suggests the existence of a glucose-alanine-pyruvate-glucose cycle in viral hepatitis and also reviews evidence for increased ammonia uptake by muscle, in liver diseases associated with raised SGPT, to support the concept of amino acid synthesis.

Biochemical changes caused by asbestos dust in the lungs of rats.

The contents of collagen, hexosamine, phospholipids, and cholesterol and the activities of acid and alkaline phosphatases, glutamic oxalo-acetate transaminase, glutamic pyruvate transminase, aldolase, hexokinase, and lactic dehydrogenase were determined in the lungs of rats 150 days after the intratracheal injection of amosite, anthophyllite, and chyrsotile. Anthophyllite did not cause any significant change, while amosite and chrysotile caused significant increases in the contents of collagen and mucopolysaccharides. Lactic dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase activities were increased by all the dusts, while the othe enzymes were not seriously affected. The biochemical significance of the findings in relation to abestosis was discussed.

Herpes simplex encephalitis: Virologic and serologic study of a patient treated with an interferon inducer

A biopsy-proved case of herpes simplex encephalitis in a young male infant is presented in which transmission of the virus to the patient apparently occurred from an infected sibling. The infant was treated with a synthetic interferon stimulator, In. Cn. Serial determinations of interferon were performed on specimens of serum and cerebrospinal fluid. Although the patient appeared to improve clinically, coincident with administration of the drug, a therapeutic effect could not be definitely established. Possible mild drug toxicity occurred after 11 days of treatment as determined by elevation of the blood urea nitrogen, serum glutamic pyruvic transminase, lactate dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase.