Collagenase-releasable and -resistant cholinesterases in normal and dystrophic muscles.

The release of acetylcholinesterase activity by collagenase from the particulate fraction of mouse muscle homogenate into the soluble fraction was dependent on the time of incubation of muscle homogenate with collagenase. The collagenase-stimulated release of acetylcholinesterase was inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline, an inhibitor of collagenase. Differential effects of inhibitors of specific acetylcholinesterase and nonspecific cholinesterase were observed in both collagenase extract and collagenase-resistant fraction derived from homogenate of muscle of normal and dystrophic mice. The collagenase extract of dystrophic muscle contained distinctly lower activity of acetylcholinesterase than that of normal muscle, while both collagenase extract and collagenase-resistant fraction of dystrophic muscle showed much higher activity of butyrylcholinesterase activity than those from normal muscle.