Esterase activity in the skeletal muscles of dystrophic and normal mice.

Esterasic activity was measured in several muscles of dystrophic and littermate control Re 129/J mice employing as substrates a series of alpha and beta naphthyl esters of different aliphatic chain length (C2 to C5). Different skeletal muscles of normal and dystrophic mice varied markedly in their esterase activity when tested not only with different, closely related substrates but also with the same substrate. Dystrophic skeletal muscles showed higher esterase activity than the corresponding muscles of controls. No increase in enzymatic levels was seen in the heart and parenchymatous organs of dystrophic hosts.