RESUMO
The effect of long term hyperthermia on enzyme levels in the chicken heart and breast muscles, brain, kidney, liver and lung were studied. Three weeks old chickens were exposed to environmental temperature of 24 degrees C (control group) and 32 degrees C (experimental) for a duration of 5 weeks, after which the birds were sacrificed, organs removed, homogenized and centrifuged at 22,000 g for 30 minutes. Enzyme activities in the supernatant were measured. The following enzymes were analysed: alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase, lactic dehydrogenase and gamma-glutamyltransferase. Significant changes in cellular enzyme activities were seen in the organs studied. Based on the percentage of changes compared to the controls, large and significant changes were seen in the creatine kinase from heart muscle (mean increase of 328%), aspartate aminotransferase from the brain (mean increase of 148%) and gamma-glutamyltransferase from the kidney (mean increase of 105%). The organs showing the smallest changes were breast muscle and liver.