1. Muscle biopsies were taken from 10 control subjects and five AMP deaminase (AMPD) deficient individuals before and after an ischaemic isometric exercise test and analysed for purine nucleotide, NAD+, creatine phosphate (CP) and lactate content.
2. The decrease of ATP induced by the exercise test was significantly lower in the AMPD deficient patients than in the controls, but the decrease of creatine phosphate and the increase of lactate did not differ. There were no significant differences in the exertional performance level between patients and controls and no evidence was obtained of an increased energy expenditure per unit of performance in AMPD deficiency.
3. The AMPD deficient individuals were equally capable of maintaining a high adenylate energy charge (EC) as the control subjects, which indicates a normal regulation of the balance between ATP consumption and ATP regeneration.
4. ATP, ADP and total adenine nucleotide (TAN) but not AMP, were significantly elevated in the AMPD deficient patients as compared with the controls before as well as after the exercise test. This underlines the role of AMPD activity in the adenine nucleotide catabolism of skeletal muscle.
