LIPASE 71 



to the enzyme splitting fats, the triu; lipase, is not yet known. Much 

 of the work so far reported on the occurrence of lipase in tissues is of 

 questionable value, especially as to quantitative results, because of 

 faulty methods. SaxP* points out and avoids some of these errors, 

 and finds that during autolysis of tissues the splitting of the natural 

 fats present in the cells is but slight; simple esters are attacked more, 

 especially amyl-salicylate ; muscle and blood are the least active 

 tissues. Most authors agree that lymphoid cells are especially rich in 

 lipolytic enzymes. ^^ In the serum of normal individuals the esterase 

 content seems to be quite constant,^'' and Quinan" found the tissue 

 content also constant, the liver containing about twice as much as 

 ttie kidnej' and over three times as much as the muscle. He states 

 that different parts of the brain have characteristic lipase activity 

 (butyrase).*^^ Thiele^^ has found that blood, chyle, and various 

 tissues also contain an enzyme which can hydrolyze lecithin, but except 

 in the pancreas i does not hydrolyze neutral fats. The brain contains 

 enzymes hydrolyzing mono- and triacetin, lecithin and cephalin.'"' 



Little is known about the part played by lipase in pathological con- 

 ditions. According to Achard and Clerc,^' the amount of spUtting of 

 ethyl butyrate by the blood-serum is lessened in most diseases, and in- 

 creases and decreases with the health of the patient; accorchng to 

 Pribram^2 a^id SagaP^ it is increased in the blood during fevers. 

 Clerc^^ found that acute arsenic, phosphorus and diphtheria-toxin 

 poisoning increased this property of the serum, while chronic poison- 

 ing and staphylococcus intoxication lowered it. Somewhat similar 

 results were obtained by Grossmann,''* but Saxl found no increased 

 activity in phosphorus poisoning. Using the ethyl butyrate test, 

 Winternitz and Meloy^^ found that the more nearly normal an organ 

 is the more cleavage of the ester; lipolytic activity is low at birth, 

 increases rapidly during the first few days of life, and does not de- 

 crease in old age. There is a decline in activity of tissues in diabetes, 

 tuberculosis, and the toxemia of pregnancy, in the livers of passive 

 congestion and fatty degeneration, in the pneumonic lung and the 

 cirrhotic liver. After taking food there is a slight increase in esterase, 



e^Biochem. Zeit., 1908 (12), 343. 



^^ The distribution of lipases in different species of.'animals and their^various 

 organs has been investigated by Porter, Miinch. med. Woch., 1914 (61), 1774. 



« Sagal, .Jour. Med. Res., 1916 (34), 231. 



«^ Ibid., 1915 (32), 45. 



" Ibid., 1916 (35), 79. 



«^ Biochem. Jour., 1913 (7), 275. 



" English and MacArthur (.Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc, 1915 (37), 653), who 

 have also found in sheep brain, erepsin, amylase, catalase, enzymes decomposing 

 arbutin and salol, probably pepsin and trypsin, but not peroxidase, oxidase, 

 reductase, guanase, urease or rennin. 



" Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol., 1902 (54), 1144. 



" Cent. inn. Med., 1908 (29), 81. 



"Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol., 1901 (53), 1131. 



'* Biochem. Zeit., 1912 (41), 181. 



'Uour. Med. Res., 1910 (22), 107. 



