The pentose phosphate pathway in regenerating skeletal muscle.

1. The activities of the oxidative enzymes (glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase) and of the non-oxidative enzymes (transaldolase, tranketolase, ribose 5 phosphate isomerase and ribulose 5-phosphate 3-epimerase) of the pentose phosphate pathway were measured at various times during the first 24h of skeletal-muscle regeneration after administration of Marcaine, a mytoxic local anesthetic. 2. The activities of the oxidative enzymes increased after Marcaine injection and rose to 9 times control activities by 24h. 3. The activities of all non-oxidative enzymes were increased after Marcaine administration, but to a much smaller extent than the oxidative enzymes (1.1-1.7-fold). 4. Histochemical analysis localized glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity within muscle fibres of control and Marcaine-treated muscles. 5. Cycloheximide or actinomycin D prevented the increase in oxidative enzyme activities, suggesting a requirement for synthesis of protein and RNA.