Physiological concentrations of lactate dehydrogenases and substrate inhibition.

Lactate dehydrogenases at physiological concentrations are inhibited by high concentrations of pyruvate when the enzyme and the pyruvate are incubated in the presence of oxidized nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide before assay. The inhibition is much more pronounced with the H-type than with the M-type lactate dehydrogenase. These results suggest that substrate inhibition may be operative in vivo.