The activity of enzymes in serum and tissues of clinically normal sheep

Abstract

Extract

Even in healthy animals enzyme activities are present in serum because of physiological wear and replacement of body cells. Increases in serum enzyme activities are, with some exceptions (Gerber, 1969), attributed to leakage of enzymes from damaged organs, the particular enzyme pattern of which superimposes itself upon that of normal serum (Gerber, 1963; Boyd, 1964; Ford, 1967). In any case, serum enzyme activity increases can be expected only if active damage to the structural integrity of tissue cells is present (Gerber, 1963; Treacher and Sansom, 1969). It may often be difficult to recognize a certain organ enzyme pattern in the serum, since the pattern may be atypical owing to an abnormality in the pathogenesis of the disease.