Inactivation in vitro of lactate dehydrogenase-5 in blood.

During incubation with rabbit blood in vitro rabbit-muscle lactate dehydrogenase-5 was inactivated at a rate similar to that observed in vivo. By contrast plasma and plasma containing erythrocytes had no effect on the enzyme activity, but plasma containing leucocytes inactivated the enzyme at the same rate as whole blood. The results obtained support the concept that intravascular inactivation accounts for the diappearance of enzymes from the circulation.