Total calcium content of skeletal muscle isolated from humans and pigs susceptible to malignant hyperthermia.

Total calcium content of both human and porcine MHS skeletal muscle is significantly less than normal. This data is consistent with the concept that some organelle (probably the sarcoplasmic reticulum, the mitochondrion or even the sarcolemma) within the MHS muscle stores less than normal amounts of calcium. The large variability between muscle specimens rules out measurement of total calcium content of skeletal muscle as a routine diagnostic test for malignant hyperthermia susceptibility.