Lysosomal enzymes in the heart of the genetically diabetic mouse

The purpose of the present study was to determine the role of cardiac lysosomal enzymes in the pathogenesis of the cardiomyopathy that develops in the genetically diabetic C57BL/KsJ db+/db+ mice. Db+/db+ mice and littermate controls were sacrificed as age-matched pairs between 5 and 26 weeks of age. C57BL/6J ob/ob mice and littermates served as other controls. Following anesthesia, the hearts were excised, homogenized, and the following enzymatic activities measured: N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, N-acetyl-beta-galactosaminidase, beta-glucosaminidase, aryl sulfatase, alpha-mannosidase, alpha-glucosidase, beta-galactosidase, beta-glucosidase, total rho-nitrophenyl phosphatase, acid phosphatase. and 5'-phosphodiesterase type IV. There is a progressive decrease in cardiac lysosomal enzyme activities of db+/db+ mice for the period 5 to 21 weeks of age. All enzyme activity is depressed significantly during the 9- to 21-week interval: alpha-glucosidase, beta-glucosidase, alpha-mannosidase, beta-galactosidase, acid phosphatase, N-acetyl-beta-galactosaminidase, 5'-phosphodiesterase type IV, and total rho-nitrophenyl phosphatase are reduced approximately 10 to 20 per cent, whereas beta-glucosaminidase, aryl sulfatase, and N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase are decreased almost 40 to 50 per cent. In contrast, cardiac lysosomal enzymic activity in the ob/ob mice does not differ significantly from controls aside from aryl sulfatase (20 per cent decrease) and beta-glucosidase (10 per cent decrease). This decrease in lysosomal enzyme activity can explain the accumulation of large residual bodies and interstitial material that occurs in the myocardium of the db+/db+ animals as part of the cardiomyopathy.