246 IMMUNO-CATALYSIS 



of these results they concluded that tests for hyaluronidase and leci- 

 thinase are likely to be negative in patients who have had an adequate 

 dose of antitoxin before removal of samples. On the other hand, the 

 presence of these enzymes in either exudate or muscle of a patient who 

 has received antitoxin would indicate that antitoxin is urgently 

 required. 



d. Effect of Hyaluronidase on Fertilization. McClean and Row- 

 lands (1942) reported that hyaluronidase was capable of liquefying the 

 highly viscous gel which cements the cumulus cells around the un- 

 fertilized tubal egg of the rat. This finding was confirmed by Felcete 

 and Duran-Reynals (1943) showing that extracts from rattlesnake 

 venom, leech tissues, and testicle, known to be very rich in hyalu- 

 ronidase, exercised a very pronounced effect in dispersing the follicular 

 cells surrounding the ova of mice; this effect was stated to be an in- 

 dispensable step in fertilization. Rowlands (1944) suggests that the gel 

 is hyaluronic acid similar to that in synovial fluid and, to enable its 

 disintegration to occur as a preliminary to fertilization, a certain un- 

 specified concentration of hyaluronidase must be established by the 

 presence of an adequate number of sperms in the vicinity of the egg. The 

 test showed that although the action of hyaluronidase is quite variable 

 under the conditions tested, it increased the fertilizing capacity on the 

 average to the extent that treated groups required about one sixth of 

 the sperm concentration to give a 50 per cent response, compared with 

 that in control groups. Monroy and Ruffo (1947) reported that a 

 substance from the sperm and testes of Arhacia lixula (=putulosa 

 Auct.) and S-poerechinus gran, dissolves the jelly-coat of sea urchin 

 eggs and also lowers the viscosity of mucin solution. Recent studies 

 make, however, the role of hyaluronidase in fertilization controversial. 



5. Non-Specific and Specific Inhibitions of Hyaluronidase 



a. Non-Specific Inhibition of Hyaluronidase. McClean (1942) re- 

 ported the inhibitory action of heparin, chondroitin sulfate and mucin 

 on the in vitro decapsulation of streptococci by testicular hyaluronidase. 

 The neutral polysaccharides of Shiga-Kruse bacilli and a blood Group 

 A hapten failed to do so. Meyer (1947) reported that heparin de- 

 sulfurated with oxalic acid-barium oxalate failed to inhibit hyalu- 

 ronidase, showing the importance of acidic groups in these inhibitions. 



