Abstract
In a paper dealing with the effect of opium alkaloids on the ureter, 1 the author has shown that the opium alkaloids in respect to their action on that organ can be divided sharply into two classes: the pyridin-phenanthrene group, of which morphin is the principal member on the one hand, and the benzyl-isoquinoline group, of which papaverin is the principal representative, on the other. The author showed that morphin and all its derivatives, with the exception of peronin or benzyl-morphin, all stimulate the contractions of the ureteral rings and increase their tonicity, while all the members of the papaverin group, namely, papaverin, narcotin and narcein inhibit the contractions of the ureter and lower its tonus.
In a subsequent paper 2 the author further analyzed the action of the opium alkaloids Qn the ureter and also studied a large number of other alkaloids and chemical compounds allied to them and was led to conclude that, as far as the stimulating action of the morphin group on the ureter is concerned, that stimulating effect is to be ascribed to the pyridin part of the morphin molecule. Furthermore, the author showed that the inhibitory and tonuslowering action of papaverin and its allied alkaloids appeared to be due to the presence of the benzyl grouping in the papaverin molecule. The skeleton structure of the morphin alkaloids and of the papevarin alkaloids is represented by the following structural formulæ:
It was further shown that when a combination of various opium alkaloids is used, the effect of the benzyl-isoquinolin members predominates in most cases. This explains also the anomalous effect of peronin or benzyl-morphin which, unlike all other morphin alkaloids, inhibits the contractions of the isolated ureter. 1
Following the studies of the effect of the opium alkaloids upon the smooth muscle of the ureter, the author investigated the action of the same alkaloids upon other kinds of smooth muscle.
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