Changes in myocardial enzyme activity of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and the relationship of these parameters to disturbed myocardial contractility and coronary atherosclerosis]

Endomyocardial biopsies from 20 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP) were studied histochemically. The decrease of the mitochondrial enzyme activity and increase of the activity of lysosomal and hydrolytic enzymes were found. These alterations reflect degenerative processes in cardiomyocytes followed by activation of their degradation and utilization. This results in the decrease of the myocardium contractile volume and its contractile function damage. There was no correlation between the level of the enzyme activity in the myocardium and the degree of the contractile function activity. There was a tendency to the increase of the above changes in patients with early signs of coronary atherosclerosis.