Serum 5-Nucleotidase in Progressive Muscular Dystrophy

Abstract

The information from the literature and personal observations cited hitherto indicate that a connection between purine metabolism and progressive muscular dystrophies may possibly exist. This is particularly valid for the metabolid end-product of purine, uric acid, which is frequently found to be increased in the blood-serum in the form of a symptomatic hyperuricaemia. The breakdown of nucleic acids or polynucleotides begins with their depolymerization to mononucleotides, which are subsequently split up into their components. The resulting purine bases, adenine and xanthine, are oxidized via the oxypurines hypoxanthine and xanthine to uric acid, and in this last stage the enzyme xanthine oxidase plays an important part. As the observations of CHALMERS et al. showed, the congenitab absence of xanthine oxidase may, after a long period, lead to a myopathy. Conversely, the inhibition of the enzyme with allopurinol in cases of muscular dystrophy with raised uric acid levels leads to a temporary and short-lived subjective improvement.