Dependence of high serum aldolase on local circulation of injured muscle

¹ Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

Studies were made on the relationship between local circulatory conditions of skeletal muscles subjected to a tourniquet ischemia and serum aldolase level. It was shown that during ischemia there was a rapid loss of aldolase activity of the injured muscles without a corresponding rise of the enzyme in the serum. Removal of the tourniquet after 4 hr of ischemia was followed by a partial resumption of local circulation evidenced by the staining of the damaged muscles by bromphenol blue introduced into the general circulation. A rapid rise of serum aldolase and further loss of aldolase activity of the injured muscles were closely associated with the partial re-establishment of the local circulation. In addition, uninjured muscles of the contralateral limb underwent a secondary damage demonstrated by a temporary decrease of aldolase activity and a prolonged retention of the dye. If the ischemia was maintained for 24 hr, removal of the tourniquet failed to re-establish the local circulation, and, consequently, there was no rise in serum aldolase nor secondary damage to the uninjured muscles.