Lipid analysis of skeletal muscle from pigs susceptible to malignant hyperthermia.

Previous studies demonstrated that lipid profiles of humans and pigs susceptible to malignant hyperthermia (MH) differ from those of normal humans and pigs. Lipid extraction techniques retaining in vivo lipid profiles most closely were used in the present study to determine if stimulation of lipolysis by the processes of homogenization or extraction might account for the reported differences in lipid profiles. No differences were observed among three genotypes of British Landrace pigs with respect to cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, or total lipid phosphorus values of whole muscle (longissimus dorsi). Phospholipid distributions were the same for all three groups. Individual free fatty acids and fatty acids acylated to triglycerides were similar among the genotypes. These results do not support altered lipid profiles in vivo in MH-susceptible swine. Previously used homogenization and extraction procedures most likely affect the lipolytic activity to a different extent in muscle from MH-susceptible pigs and normal pigs.