Body Temperature Changes Produced by Sodium Salts of Some Aromatic Acids. ∗

Abstract

Concerning the relations between the chemical constitution of the nitrophenols and their specific action on cellular metabolism Heymans 1 makes the following statements:

“In the dinitrophenol the stimulating action on metabolism is associated with position 1 to 4 of one of the NO₂ radicles, the greater the distance between the two NO₂ radicles the greater is the hyperthermic action. The introduction of one or more aliphatic CH chains up to the pentyl chain, progressively increases the specific action of the dinitro-derivatives as catalyzers of cellular respiration. The stimulating action on cellular metabolism is decreased by the addition of an NH₂ radicle to the benzyl chain and is abolished by the addition of an HSO₃ radicle.”

3–5 dinitrosalicylic acid which has the two NO₂ groups in the desired positions relative to each other and hydroxyl group offers the opportunity to study the effect on body temperature when a COOH group is substituted into a dinitrophenol.

Sodium 3,5 dinitrosalicylate injected intramuscularly into pigeons and subcutaneously, intramuscularly or intraperitoneally into rats, in the range dosage 25 to 133 mg. per kilo body weight, does not produce a rise in body temperature, but on the contrary produces a distinct and sustained decrease. The maximum decrease (2° to 4°C.) is reached about 2 hours after injection and the return to normal is slow—4 to 7 hours.

The symptoms produced by the larger doses were shivering, retching and vomiting in the pigeons and shivering and drowsiness in the rats.

Assuming that the nitro groups were in a measure responsible for the greater decreases produced by sodium dinitrosalicylate than are produced by sodium salicylate we compared the temperature decreasing effects of sodium 3,5 dinitrobenzoate and sodium benzoate.