On the extracellular and intracellular venom activators,with special reference to lecithin,fatty acids and their compounds

Abstract

Calcium chloride stops venom hemolysis caused in the presence of oleic acid or soluble oleate soaps, but not that induced by lecithin. In the majority of serums, including those of man, horse, guinea pig, rabbit, cat, rat, hen, pigeon and goose, there exist greater or less amounts of venom activators, and they can be completely inactivated by calcium chloride. Judging from the fact that lecithin in an available form is not affected by this salt it is not likely that these serums owe their venom activating property to lecithin. As these activators are also extractable with ether they probably are nothing else than certain fatty acids, and, probably, soluble soaps. Dog's serum is an exception to this, and contains, besides fatty acids and soaps, also activators of the nature of lecithin, for calcium chloride fails to stop completely its venom activating property. This lecithin-like activator is not extractable with ether, but is precipitable by half saturation with ammonium sulphate together with the serumglobulin. While the serum globulin falls out as a precipitate during dialysis this activator remains in the solution, from which a large percentage of lecithin is extractable with warm alcohol. In many respects this appears to be a protein compound of lecithin and possibly is identical with Chabrie's albumon. This peculiar protein compound of lecithin seems to be absent from the majority of normal serums. Chabrie's albumon develops in any serum heated to coagulation, and renders all serums equally venom activating. Ovovitellin is another form of protein compound containing lecithin in available form for venom. On the other hand, pure serum globulins or serum albumins are not venom activating, notwithstanding their content of alcohol-extractable lecithin. Non-activating serum can be made activating by adding small quantities of oleic acid or oleate soaps.