Left ventricular enzyme activities of the energy-supplying metabolism in Goldblatt-II rats.

The hypertrophied left ventricles of renovascular hypertensive Wistar rats were examined for several enzyme activities 4-6 and 8-12 weeks after operation (Goldblatt-II), and compared with controls. The activities of beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase in hypertrophied myocardial tissue were found to be markedly diminished, as were those of citrate synthase, although to a lesser degree. In both stages of left ventricular hypertrophy hexokinase activity was considerably increased, whereas that of lactate dehydrogenase was only initially slightly elevated. Both enzymes showed an altered isoenzyme composition. The possible reasons and consequences of these changes are discussed.