No abstract

1. Urinary lactate dehydrogenase was concentrated and subjected to starchblock electrophoresis. The isoenzyme pattern obtained was shown to be similar to that of the kidney cortex and medulla but different from that of the bladder and kidney pelvis. 2. The values for the relative activity and Michaelis constant of urinary lactate dehydrogenase were similar to those for kidney cortex and medulla but significantly different from those obtained for bladder and kidney pelvis. 3. The molecular weight of urinary lactate dehydrogenase was estimated by thin-layer chromatogtaphy on Sephadex G-200. The values obtained for several samples of urine ranged from 129 000 to 155 000 and were very close to that of the crystalline rabbit-muscle enzyme (140 000). 4. The question of the possible origin of urinary lactate dehydrogenase is discussed and the conclusion drawn that the kidney and not the plasma is the most likely source.

1. Cells present in normal human urine contain 5-10% of the total lactate dehydrogenase excreted. The enzyme released from these cells by ultrasonication contained a distribution of isoenzymes similar to that found in the bulk of the urine and it is suggested that these cells are the main source of urinary lactate dehydrogenase. 2. Cells were thoroughly washed before examination so it is unlikely that the enzyme found in urinary sediment was simply adsorbed. In addition, full recoveries of added lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes LDH(1) and LDH(5) showed that adsorption did not occur. 3. Most of the cells in normal urine are of the non-squamous epithelial type and their excretion is greatly increased after the ingestion by the subject of 3g. of aspirin. The possible origin of these non-squamous cells from the kidney is discussed. 4. Starch-block electrophoresis and relative activity measurements of lactate dehydrogenase excreted after the subject had taken aspirin show that the enzymes present in urine and cells are very similar, confirming the conclusion reached above (point 1). They have slightly more M subunits than the normal, shown particularly as an increase in isoenzyme LDH(2). The isoenzyme pattern is like that of the kidney medulla and the possible reasons for this are discussed in terms of the concentration of salicylic acid in various parts of the kidney. 5. The results confirm the previous suggestion that the kidney is the main source of urinary lactate dehydrogenase.

1. A vacuum skin-blistering technique has been successfully applied and the human epidermal tissue so obtained has been examined for glycogen content and some of the enzymes involved in glycogen metabolism. 2. Normal values for glycogen phosphorylase, acid α-glucosidase and amylo-1,6-glucosidase (debranching enzyme) in epidermis are reported. Glucose 6-phosphatase activity was not detected. 3. Examination of two patients with Type II glycogen storage disease (Pompe's Disease—lack of lysosomal acid α-glucosidase) revealed an absence of the acid α-glucosidase in their skin. 4. The enzymic lesion in Type V glycogen storage disease (McArdle's Disease—lack of muscle phosphorylase) was not reflected in the epidermal tissue of a patient and a normal level of the enzyme was observed.

No abstract