John V. Carbone

Constitutional Nonhemolytic Hyperbilirubinemia in the Rat Defect of Bilirubin Conjugation

Summary 1. Broken-cell preparations of liver and of kidney from rats with constitutional nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemia failed to synthesize bilirubin or o-aminophenol glucuronides. 2. Inhibition of β-glucuronidase with potassium saccharate failed to influence conjugation of bilirubin in these animals. 3. The evidence presented suggests that in constitutional nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemia in rats, glucuronyl transferase activity is absent or inhibited.

Enzymatic defect in metabolism of bilirubin in fetal and newborn rat.

Summary 1. Homogenate preparations of liver and kidney from fetal rats failed to synthesize bilirubin glucuronides. The conjugative activity did not reach normal levels until the animal was 5 to 6 weeks old. 2. The levels of uridine diphosphoglucuronic acid were only 10% of those found in adult tissue. 3. Inhibition of beta glucuronidase with potassium saccharate did not stimulate the conjugation of bilirubin. Phenolphthalein glucuronide was not hydrolyzed. 4. No conjugation was observed in homogenates of stomach, intestine or placental tissue. 5. The evidence presented suggests that glucuronyl transferase activity and the production of uridine diphosphoglucuronic acid are impaired in the newborn and the premature animal.

Photochemical addition of amino acids and peptides to polyuridylic acid.

Abstract— The quantum yields for photochemical addition of glycine and the L‐amino acids commonly occurring in proteins (excluding proline) to polyuridylic acid have been determined in deoxygenated phosphate buffer at pH 7, using a fluorescamine assay technique. All twenty amino acids were found to be reactive, with cysteine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine, arginine, lysine and methionine being the most reactive. The analogous quantum yields for a series of eighteen dipeptides of the form glycyl X (X being one of the commonly occurring amino acids, including proline), of L‐alanyl‐L‐tryptophan, of the tripeptides L‐seryl‐L‐seryl‐L‐serine and L‐threonyl‐L‐threonyl‐L‐threonine, of the tetrapeptide L‐cystine‐bis‐glycine, and of the lysine derivative Nα‐acetyllysine were also measured. All were found to be reactive toward photoaddition to poly U.

Photochemical addition of amino acids and peptides to homopolyribonucleotides of the major DNA bases.

Abstract— The photochemical quantum yields for addition of glycine and the L‐amino acids commonly occurring in proteins (excluding proline) to polyadenylic acid, polycytidylic acid, polyguanylic acid and polyribothymidylic acid have been determined in deoxygenated phosphate buffer at Λ 254 nm and pH 7, using a fluorescamine assay technique. Polyadenylic acid was reactive with eleven of the twenty amino acids tested, with phenylalanine, tyrosine, glutamine, lysine and asparagine having the highest quantum yields. Polyguanylic acid reacted with sixteen amino acids; phenylalanine, arginine, cysteine, tyrosine, and lysine displayed the largest quantum yields. Polycytidylic acid showed reactivity with fifteen amino acids with lysine, phenylalanine, cysteine, tyrosine and arginine having the greatest quantum yields. Polyribothymidylic acid, reactive with fifteen of nineteen amino acids surveyed, showed the highest quantum yields for cysteine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, lysine and asparagine. None of the polynucleotides were reactive with aspartic acid or glutamic acid.

Effect of varying doses of reserpine on gastric secretion.

RESERPINE has been shown to increase the production of hydrochloric acid in both man and animals.1 , 2 That reserpine is a potent stimulus to gastrointestinal secretions and motility has been clear...

Metabolism of sulfobromophthalein in hepatectomized and hepatectomized-nephrectomized dog.

Summary 1. Conjugation and rate of removal of sulfobromophthalein from the blood stream were studied in hepatectomized and hepatectomized-nephrectomized dogs. 2. Clearance of BSP from blood of hepatectomized dogs occurred at a slow but significant rate. Only 10% of cleared dye was excreted in urine. Conjugates of BSP appeared in serum and in greater percentage in urine. 3. Hepatectomized dogs after nephrectomy still cleared BSP at significant rate but had only questionable traces of metabolites in the serum. 4. It was concluded that the kidney is capable of conjugating BSP but that most of the dye clearance in the hepatectomized dog can be attributed to extrarenal mechanisms in the peripheral tissues.

Suppression of Prednisone-Induced Gastric Hypersecretion by an Anticholinergic Drug.

Summary The effect of an anticholinergic drug was studied in 10 normal males who showed increased gastric secretory activity during administration of prednisone. It was found that concurrent administration of oxyphenonium bromide (Antrenyl®) suppressed the increase in gastric hydrochloric acid secretion and reduced uropepsin excretion.

Suppressive effect of anticholinergic, oxyphenonium bromide, on reserpine-stimulated gastric secretion.

Summary An anticholinergic drug, oxy-phenonium bromide, (20 mg/day) was administered concomitantly with reserpine (.32 mg and .5 mg/day) to normal young adults. Addition of anticholinergic compound suppressed the rise in gastric free hydrochloric acid induced by administration of reserpine alone and reduced the gastric acidity below control levels in all instances.