154 



SUBCELLULAR PARTICLES 



PERCENTAGE 

 OF ACTIVITY 

 OF CONTROLS 



ISO 



lOO 



© 



6 animals 



N 



N 



® 



9 animals 



N 



Fig. 13. State of enzymes in comatose animals. Exp. I: Mean of 6 animals (3 starxnl and 

 3 given deficient diet). Results expressed in U/mg N. Exp. II: Mean of 9 starved animals (5 

 untreated and 4 injected with CCI4 before starvation). Results expressed in U/gm liver. N, 

 controls (same treatment, but non-comatose). C, Comatose. Full hlocl{S, cytochrome oxidase. 

 (i), acid phosphatase; (2), /3-glucuronidase; (3), cathepsin; (4), acid ribonuclease; (5), acid 

 deoxyribonuclcase. Shaded hlocks, unsedimentable activities. Note that unscdimentable activities 

 of controls are themsehcs hiL;her than the normal values. 



Whether the enzymes actually preexisted in free form in the intact cells cannot 

 of course be known, but may be suspected from the evidence showing that in- 

 creased autolysis was taking place. To this extent, the results obtained also indi- 

 cate that the lysosomal enzymes are released together //; uivo as they are in vitro. 

 (See, however, ref. 78.) They do not, however, allow us to decide whether lyso- 

 somes may be considered as potential killers or 'suicide-bags,' since the observed 

 breakdown of the particles could be a postmortal phenomenon. That they can 

 act as scavengers and help to clear tissues of dead cells is at least clearly indicated. 

 The influence of total-body irradiation with a lethal dose of x-rays on the 

 state of lysosomal enzymes has also been the object of some investigations. 



