Alanine and aspartate aminotransferase activities in muscles of diabetic rats

Activities of alanine and aspartate aminotransferase in different muscle types and in the liver of streptozotocin diabetic rats were studied 1,2 and 3 days after administering of streptozotocin. It was shown that the activity of both enzymes was elevated in the "white" layer of the vastus lateralis, in the liver and in the heart, whereas it remained unchanged in the "red" layer of the same muscle, in the soleus and the diaphragm. It is concluded that the effect of acute insulin deficiency on the aminotransferase activity in skeletal muscles depends on the muscle fiber composition and does not appear in muscles with a high oxidative potential. These results indicate that muscle fiber composition should be taken into account when evaluating the role of insulin in amino acid metabolism in the muscle.