Cerebrospinal fluid enzymes in acute brain injury. 1. Dynamics of changes in CSF enzyme activity after acute experimental brain injury.

Changes in CSF enzyme activity were studied after brain trauma for their prognostic value. Raised values of CPK and HBDH were demonstrated in the CSF of patients with severe brain injuries. Standardised cold lesions of the brain were induced in cats. The activities of the enzymes CPK, HBDH, LDH, GOT, GPT, and pseudocholinesterase were studied at half hour intervals in the cerebrospinal fluid and at hourly intervals in the serum. A statistically highly significant increase of all enzymes studied developed in the CSF. The greatest changes occurred within four hours of freezing. Large increases could occur in half an hour. Isoenzyme studies demonstrated that CPK and LDH were of cerebral origin. No consistently significant changes could be shown in the serum enzyme activity. It is concluded that after brain injuries, enzymes are released into the extracellular fluid of the brain and transported to the CSF. The limited value of a single enzyme estimation is emphasised. The results described seem to provide indirect evidence for transependymal flow of extracellular fluid in brain oedema.