HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON HUMAN MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

Abstract

The proliferating connective tissue of muscular dystrophy can be shown by histochemical methods to contain enzymes which hydrolyse many high energy phosphates and phosphorylated co-enzymes, but which do not affect phosphorylated glycolytic intermediates. These results are discussed and the suggestion is made that the possibility of muscular dystrophy being primarily a connective tissue disease should be seriously considered. This work was carried out under a grant from the Muscular Dystrophy Associations of America Inc. and under a U. S. Public Health Service grant no. B2038. Some of the equipment with which the work was carried out was purchased with funds made available by the Aid to Muscular Dystrophy Research Chapter, Boston, Mass. of the National Foundation for Neuromuscular Diseases.