Transaminase in Experimental Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Myocardial infarction was produced by surgical ligation of a branch of the coronary artery in dogs. Following this procedure the serum transaminase activity in 19 dogs was increased by 355% while transaminase activity was reduced by 31% in the infarcted area of the myocardium. Size of the infarct was directly proportional to increased transaminase activity of the serum and inversely proportional to enzyme concentration of the infarcted myocardial tissue. It was indicated that the major source of the elevated serum transaminase activity after experimental myocardial infarction was the damaged cardiac muscle.