Porcine malignant hyperthermia susceptibility: erythrocytic osmotic fragility.

Erythrocyte osmotic fragility was determined in 27 Pietrain swine which were susceptible to malignant hyperthermia (MH), 29 Yorkshire swine which were resistant to MH (controls), and 50 crossbred swine (Pietrain x Yorkshire), half of which were MH susceptible. Halothane challenge tests and blood creatine kinase activity were used as criteria for determining MH susceptibility. Mean values for osmotic fragility of erythrocytes in concentrations of NaCl between 60 and 120 mM were significantly different for the 3 groups (P less than 0.001). Hemolysis (50%) of erythrocytes occurred at NaCl concentrations of 90 mM for Pietrains, 85 mM for crossbreds, and 78 mM for controls. Increased fragility values occurred in 96% of the Pietrains, 3% of the controls, and 42% of crossbred swine that were halothane test-positive, and 58% of halothane test-negative crossbreds (P less than 0.05). The mean time of onset of signs of MH in response to halothane challenge testing was twice as long in the crossbreds as in Pietrains (P less than 0.01). Reticulocyte counts were moderately high in blood samples from both the Pietrains (P less than 0.001) and the crossbreds (P less than 0.05). Of the swine which were tested for erythrocyte selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity, values were within acceptable laboratory limits in 18 of 20 Pietrains, 14 of 14 halothane test-negative crossbreds, and 8 of 8 halothane test-positive crossbreds. In 2 of 20 Pietrains, a 35% deficiency of this enzyme was found. Heinz bodies were not detected in erythrocytes examined from 21 Pietrains, 20 crossbred swine (8 halothane test positives), and 12 controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)