Erythrocyte metabolism in muscular dystrophy

M. J. Danon, W. E. Marshall, G. Sarpel and A. Omachi

Erythrocytes from patients with Duchenne's and myotonic muscular dystrophies contained more adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and produced more lactate than did normal erythrocytes in incubation studies conducted in vitro at an initial pH of 7.4. Since the same results were obtained in two different genetic dystrophies, these metabolic variations appear to be secondary to the primary changes occurring in these diseases. Following ouabain treatment, ATP content increased and lactate production decreased in erythrocytes from both dystrophies. This result differs from one reported earlier in experiments conducted at alkaline pH.