Polyinositol interrelationships in skeletal muscle under the duress of burn trauma

Skeletal muscle weakness is a common problem among burn patients. An understanding of the changes that occur in the phosphatidyl inositol signal transducing system (sts) in skeletal muscle may identify pharmacological agents that would prove useful in the treatment of these patients. This report examines changes that occur in the interrelationships between the polyinositol phosphates of skeletal muscle due to the systemic effects of large body surface area (% BSA) burns. Burn injury was applied to predefined areas corresponding to 0, 20 and 50 per cent BSA of the dorsal and ventral skin surfaces of mice. At postburn day 21, polyinositol phosphate levels were measured in the gastrocnemius muscle by the incorporation of myo[2-(3)H]inositol with separation of the phosphates by anion-exchange chromatography. All data were analysed using analysis of variance and curve fitting routines. In the gastrocnemius, a number of interrelationships were found between the polyinositol phosphates. A relationship between inositol 1 phosphate (I1P) and inositol was the only relationship that was found in all three groups. However, a number of other relationships existed in the 20 and 50 per cent BSA burn group. These data illustrate that changes in polyinositol interrelationships occur in the phosphatidyl inositol signal transducing system due to the systemic effects of large per cent BSA burns.