ACTIVATION OF PANCREATIC STEAPSIN 363 



fat cleavage in the digestive tract is not accomplished ex- 

 clusively by the pancreatic steapsin, but that in addition 

 Upases of the gastric juice, of the intestinal secretion and 

 of the vast numbers of microorganisms in the intestine are 

 also concerned in the process. 



Activation of the Pancreatic Steapsin by the Salts of the 

 Biliary Acids. In further effort to properly appreciate the 

 manner in which the pancreatic secretion and the bile influ- 

 ence the digestion of fat, we at once are met by the important 

 fact that the fat-splitting ferment of the pancreas is greatly 

 augmented in its effectiveness by the bile. 



The first statements bearing upon the reinforcing influ- 

 ence of the bile upon the pancreatic steapsin are probably 

 to be ascribed to M. Nencki. These were confirmed later 

 by a number of observers. 37 The general fact in itself thus 

 seemed settled; but until recently it was not known to 

 which of the components of the bile this characteristic and 

 (for the physiological action of the bile) undoubtedly 

 important property was to be referred. Contrary to the 

 statements of Hewlett, who believed he was in position to 

 ascribe its most important role in fat cleavage to the lecithin 

 of the bile, the author, in collaboration with Julius Schiitz, 

 was able to show that the effect (at least for the most part) 

 is due to the salts of the bile acids (glycocholic and tauro- 

 cholic acids). Although these results were regarded as en- 

 tirely conclusive, it was unquestionably a matter of satisfac- 

 tion that E. Magnus 38 determined further that the sodium 

 salts of synthetically formed biliary acids are also capable 

 of acting as powerful activating agents. "In the synthetic 

 production of the two biliary acids," says Magnus, "which 

 was done by starting with cholalic acid and producing suc- 

 cessively the ethylester, the hydrazid and the azid of this 



"Dastre, 1891; Knauthe, 1898; G. C. Bruno, 1899; Babkin, 1903; 

 K. Glassner, 1904; A. W. Hewlett, 1906; cf. Literature: O. v. Fiirth and 

 J. Schiitz, Hofmeister's Beitr., 9, 28, 1906. 



88 R. Magnus, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 48, 376, 1906; cf. also E. F. 

 Teorrine (Lab. of the College of France), Biochem. Zeitschr., 23, 440, 1910. 



