The purine nucleotide profile in mouse, chicken and human dystrophic muscle: an abnormal ratio of inosine plus adenine nucleotides to guanine nucleotides.

1. AMP, ADP, ATP, IMP, GDP, GTP and adenylosuccinate have been measured by high pressure liquid chromatography in three types of animal muscular dystrophy and in a human patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 2. Abnormalities in nucleotide content varied from one dystrophy to another. 3. In each case, however, the ratio [total adenine nucleotide + IMP]/[total guanine nucleotides] was lower in dystrophic muscle, even when severely exercised or ischaemic muscles were used. 4. The practical advantages of this assay for diagnosis of muscular dystrophy are discussed.