(ant trophic functions, that it constitutes, in its way, the root of the organism, 

 since it is through it and with its active participation that the substances nec- 

 essary for their vital activity reach the parenchymal cells from the blood. The 

 type of the connective tissue determines, to a considerable extent, the constitu- 

 tion of the organism. As early as 1 924, I designated four basic types of constitu- 

 tion, as determined by the character of the connective tissue: pasty, fibrotic, 

 lymphomatous, and asthenic." (A. A. Bogomolets, 1940). 



The changes in the connective tissue with aging (like those in the other 

 tissues of the organism) are based, according to Bogomolets, on the biological 

 hysteresis of its colloids: ". . . The hysteresis of the connective tissue, the aging of 

 its colloids, their thickening and condensation, their loss of water (senile desicca- 

 tion of colloids), the lowering of their capillary activity, the qualitative and 

 quantitative changes in the electrical charges of the cellular (perhaps also 

 extracellular, V. N.) micelles of the connective tissue: all of these factors affect 

 in a very substantial fashion the general state of the organism, the nutrition of 

 its tissues, and its overall physiological activity" (1940). 



According to Bogomolets, there is an ever increasing accumulation of 

 aging, partially coagulated, colloidal (largely protein) particles [tr.: molecules?] 

 in the tissues of the organism. They are unable, however, to undergo autolytic 

 removal (autodigestion), since the degree of change in the aging protein par- 

 ticles, their denaturation, is still insufficient for them to become accessible to 

 autolytic enzymes. The coUoidoclastic "electrical storm" comes to the aid of 

 the autolytic enzyTnes; by this means, the aged protein particles are denatured 

 to a sufficient degree to enable them readily to fall prey to the autolytic enzymes. 

 "It would appear that, under the influence of colloidoclasia, coagulation of the 

 least stable 'senescent' micelles takes place and is followed by their enzymatic 

 sphtting, with the formation of autocatalysts, substances of the type of Carrel's 

 proteases, which manifest a stimulating action on the vital activity of the cell" 

 (A. A. Bogomolets, 1940). 



Starting with the hypothesis that the tempo of aging of the connective 

 tissue outstrips considerably that of the corresponding processes in other tissues, 

 Bogomolets suggested that stimulating doses of the so-called antireticular cyto- 

 toxic serum (ACS) be used. The latter is obtained in response to the injection, 

 into a donor animal, of serum from three varieties of "physiologically active 

 connective tissue": bone marrow, spleen, and liver. Bogomolets developed a 

 method for determining the titer of this serum and began to use it as a means of 

 stimulating ("rejuvenating") the corresponding types of connective tissue in the 

 aging organism. 



Bogomolets compared the two means of "rejuvenation" (blood transfusion 

 and administration of ACS) in the essence of their effects on tissues. In both 

 cases, electrical storms in the protoplasm play a part, ridding the protoplasm of 

 its aged and inert elements. Only in the second case is the action localized 

 selectively in the connective tissue. 



Bogomolets asserted that "study of the stimulating effect of our antireticular 

 cytotoxic serum has confirmed the varied and important significance of the 

 physiological system of the connective tissue. Stimulation of its functions in- 



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