| Abstract: | The behavior of several enzymes was studied during rat heart development (4 days before birth to adult stage). Hexokinase has its highest activity during the fetal period; it decreases at birth and remains with low activity in the adult. The alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase and alpha-glycerophosphate oxidase profiles are similar up to the 15th day of development. From there onwards, both profiles diverge, the cytoplasmic activity increasing 3-fold, while the mitochondrial activity remains unchanged. The developmental profiles of the malate dehydrogenases are almost parallel. The development of citrate synthase and succinate dehydrogenase results in a 2- to 4-fold increase in their activities. However, ATPase increases dramatically (20-fold) over the same period. With respect to the enzymes of the adenine nucleotide metabolism, adenylate kinase is fully expressed throughout all ages examined, showing no variation during development. AMP deaminase and creatine kinase increase during development, the cytoplasmic creatine kinase reaching a high level at birth whereas the increases of the mitochondrial enzymes take place gradually during development. |
