Investigation of malignant hyperthermia: analysis of skeletal muscle proteins from normal and halothane sensitive pigs by two dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Two dimensional gel analysis of skeletal muscles from normal pigs and from pigs which were homozygous for halothane sensitivity showed no obvious differences in the patterns of spots attributed to the major contractile proteins and glycolytic enzymes. In muscle from a sensitive pig which died of heat shock under anaesthesia there was a selective loss of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and aldolase, presumably owing to proteolytic activity. The progressive loss of these enzymes under anaesthesia could contribute to the mechanism of heat production by diverting fructose 1,6 diphosphate into a futile cycle.