Tissue and plasma enzyme activities in juvenile green iguanas.
OBJECTIVE
To determine activities of intracellular enzymes in 8 major organs in juvenile green iguanas and to compare tissue and plasma activities.


METHODS
6 green iguanas < 1 year old.


METHODS
Lysates of liver, kidney, epaxial muscle, heart, lung, spleen, small intestine, and pancreas were analyzed for alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), creatine kinase (CK), glutamate dehydrogenase (GMD), and amylase (AMS) activities.


RESULTS
In general, low tissue enzyme activity coincided with low plasma activity. The CK activity was high in epaxial muscle and the heart and low in all other tissues tested. The AMS activity was found exclusively in the pancreas. Moderate LDH and AST activities were found in all tissues. Low ALT and ALP activities were found in a variety of tissues. Plasma and tissue activities of GGT and GMD were low or undetectable.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that plasma CK activity may be muscle specific in iguanas, but high values may not always indicate overt muscle disease. The AMS activity may be specific for the pancreas, but the wide range of plasma activity would likely limit its diagnostic usefulness. Activities of AST and LDH may reflect tissue damage or inflammation, but probably do not reflect damage to specific tissues or organs.
Division of Laboratory Animal Resources, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
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Wagner
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Wetzel
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000681:Amylases / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D007076:Iguanas / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000201:enzymology; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008168:Lung / Q000201:enzymology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000201:enzymology; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology; D012016:Reference Values; D013154:Spleen / Q000201:enzymology
D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000681:Amylases