C. Jelleff Carr

Metabolism of the sugar alcohols and their derivatives.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the metabolism of the sugar alcohols that emphasis mainly on the isomeric hexitols. Substances such as methyl alcohol and ethylene glycol are studied under categories other than the sugar alcohols. The sugar alcohol refers to the hexahydric alcohols and their availability as food in the human diet warrants special study of their metabolic patterns. Biological metabolic processes attack most of the sugar alcohols. Glycerol, sorbitol, and mannitol are nontoxic precursors of glycogen and hence are metabolizable in the animal body. The respective anhydrides of the sugar alcohols studied in the chapter are not metabolized in the animal body.

Experimental Diabetes Produced by Alloxan.

Summary The administration of alloxan in one suitable dose produces a pancreatic experimental diabetes. Satisfactory animals exhibit a prolonged high blood-sugar level that is maintained for weeks. KO renal lesions are observed in such animals and the fat and glycogen content of the liver is within normal limits. Adrenal and pancreatic islet cellular changes may explain the character of the acute phase.

Adenosine triphosphatase activity of the vascular system.

Summary The AT Pase activity of the vascular system of the dog has been studied, lit has been shown that the enzyme content of -the different arteries enjoys wide variation. The venous system does not contain the enzyme. ATPase activity of the aorta of the rat was not influenced by age or captivity. The aortic ATPase activity of various species of animals is presented.

Effect of Drugs on Myokinase Activity of Coronary Arteries.

Summary Transphosphorylation reactions mediated by the adenylic acid system are involved in energy transfer for muscle activity. These experiments were designed to study the influence of vaso-active drugs upon two such systems, adenylate kinase (myokinase) and adenosine triphosphatase from coronary tissue. These results indicate that the constriction and dilatation of coronary arteries elicited by these drugs do not involve the inhibition of these enzyme systems.

Anesthesia. XXI. Anesthesia and the Steroid Hormones.

Conclusions We question the suitability of the word anesthesia either in its restricted or in its extensional meaning as applied to the syndrome of cholesterol depression. Etymologically “anesthesia” means without sensation, but usage confines it to a description of a reversible process; unless accidentally it becomes terminal. We hold, therefore, that when this syndrome of depression produced by these steroid compounds is described as anesthetic, that the use of the adjective lacks preciseness, and that this loose choice of the word is misleading.

Myokinase Activity of Coronary Arteries

In exploring the mechanism of action of vasodilating drugs an attempt has been made to study the enzyme systems of the blood vessels. A transphosphatase of the myokinase type has been found to be present in the coronary arteries of the steer. The activity has been studied under the optimal conditions for this enzyme system. Coronary arterial tissue may be maintained at the temperature of dry ice for a number of days without significant loss of enzyme activity. This will permit an investigation of the effects of drugs upon the activity of these enzymes.

Pharmacology of isomeric thiocyanobenzoic acids.

Summary 1. The pharmacologic responses to the three isomeric thiocyanobenzoic acids have been investigated. 2. The meta and para compounds are powerful depressors. This action is not shared by the ortho compound. 3. p-Thiocyanobenzoic acid inactivates cytochrome oxidase in concentrations similar to cyanide. The meta compound is less active and the ortho isomer exhibits little inhibition. 4. All three isomers are relaxants to smooth muscle.

Anesthesia XLII. The oil/water coefficient and water solubility of volatile anesthetics

Conclusion and SummaryTrifluoroethyl vinyl ether is sparingly soluble in water and possesses a very high oil/water coefficient, even greater than that of chloroform, yet its anesthetic potency is approximately the same as that of Ether, U.S.P.This finding constitutes a new fact strongly opposing the well-known “Meyer-Overton Theory”. There is also an exception in the use of the reciprocal of the water solubility of volatile anesthetics to approximate the anesthetic potency. Therefore it appears that neither of these procedures is a faithful criterion with which to estimate the potency of fluorinated ethers.

Alkyl Nitrites XVI. Comparative Depressor Responses of Octyl Nitrite and Glyceryl Trinitrate

Summary (1) Octyl nitrite unlike glyceryl trinitrate is not effectively absorbed through the buccal membranes of the dog.(2) Octyl nitrite is a powerful depressor agent in the dog when administered by inhalation.(3) Intravenously in the dog the depressor potencies of octyl nitrite and glyceryl trinitrate are in the ratio of 1 to 1.34 on a molar basis, depending upon the nitrite and nitrate groups respectively present in each molecule. On an equal weight basis the depressor threshold for glyceryl trinitrate was found to be between one-fourth and one-tenth that of octyl nitrite.

Anesthesia: XI. The Anesthetic Action of Propenyl Ethyl Ether.

Summary Propenyl ethyl ether produces prompt surgical anesthesia in many species of animals upon inhalation. The anesthetic index is higher than ethyl ether and the compound appears to be without deleterious action upon the myocardium, the normal histology of the liver or kidney, or upon the red blood cell in anesthetic concentrations. However, this ether in common with its isomer, cypreth ether, produces irritation of the upper respiratory tract in animals and especially in man. For this reason we are of the opinion that the compound is unsuited as a volatile anesthetic in man.