title: Tissue and serum enzyme activities in the yellow rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta quadrivitatta).
abstract: Activities of diagnostically important enzymes were measured in serum and lysates of liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, heart, intestine, lung, and pancreatic tissues from wild-caught yellow rat snakes, Elaphe obsoleta quadrivitatta. All samples were analyzed for alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase (LD), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and creatine kinase (CK) activities. The major enzyme activities found in the liver were LD and AST. The kidney had moderate activities of LD, AST, alanine transaminase, and CK. Skeletal muscle and heart contained high CK activity. Intestine, lung, and pancreas had low activities for most enzymes analyzed. Little to no gamma-glutamyltransferase activity was found in serum or tissues analyzed. Serum enzyme activities in yellow rat snakes were similar to those described for other reptile species, except for serum CK activity, which was increased in rat snakes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Practice, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37901-1071, USA.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ramsay
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Dotson
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D017812:Colubridae / Q000378:metabolism*; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D004798:Enzymes / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007422:Intestines / Q000201:enzymology; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004798:Enzymes; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase