Difference in enzyme networks between mouse and hamster models of muscular dystrophy.

The present study was undertaken to compare the peculiarity of enzymatic changes in dystrophic hamsters and mice. Various enzymatic activities in muscle, bone, heart, spleen, liver and kidney were measured. The enzymes tested include 7 aminopeptidases, 5 endopeptidases, 3 glycosidases, creatine kinase, phosphatase and esterase. In dystrophic mice, the enzymatic changes were chiefly confined to muscle and bone. In dystrophic hamsters, on the other hand, extensive and pronounced changes in enzymatic activities were seen not only in skeletal muscle but also in bone, heart muscle, spleen, liver and kidney. Furthermore, resemblance of pattern of enzymatic changes was seen among several organs including skeletal muscle, heart muscle, bone and spleen in the hamster model. Comparing the enzymatic changes in these two models, dystrophic mouse may be regarded as more specific a model for musculoskeletal diseases. Dystrophic hamster may be related more to multiorgan diseases possibly associated with immunological or other systemic diseases. These models may represent two different disease categories, respectively.