Abstract
Fresh whole adrenal glands (20 gm. portions) were thoroughly crushed in a mortar with sand (3 gm. sand per gm. of gland) and 50 cc. distilled water, until a very finely divided pulpy mass was formed. This pulp was placed in collodion bags and dialyzed repeatedly against 200 cc. portions of distilled water. Dialyzing for 5 minutes results in a bluish dialysate, 5 cc. of which causes a powerful pressor response when injected intravenously in a 10 kg. dog. The dialysates have been removed and fresh portions (200 cc.) of distilled water added daily at varying intervals for 35 days. Intravenous injections in a 10 kg. dog of 1/2 to 5 cc. of the different dialysates causes a rise in blood pressure comparable to the effect obtained by injecting 1/2 to 1 cc. of 1/20,000 P. D. and Co. adrenalin. Chemical analysis, according to the iodine thyosulphate titration, indicates that the total yield per gram of fresh gland over 30 days'dialyzing is equivalent to 10 mg. P. D. and Co. adrenalin. Biological assay as determined by the blood pressor effect on anesthetized dogs, shows even a greater physiological effect than the quantitative chemical analysis indicates.
If autolysis of the crushed adrenal glands in the dialyzing bag be held in abeyance by potassium cyanide, the dialysate contains no pressor principle. On the other hand KCN did not affect the pressor activity of untreated dialysates nor that of P. D. and Co. adrenalin. Boiling for 1 minute does not destroy the pressor effect of the dialysate; neither does digestion with pepsin or trypsin. Passing the dialysate through animal charcoal removes the pressor principle, as does adsorption on aluminum hydroxide.
The pressor substance contained in the dialysate is not precipitated by concentrated NH4OH, although a heavy flocculent precipitate forms. The mother liquor from this precipitate contains a powerful pressor substance.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.