74 ENZYMES 



(Stocks). In diabetes it is ordinarily increased, but not in syphilitic 

 diabetes. ^^ Intravenous or subcutaneous injection of starch is said 

 to increase the blood amylase, presumably as a defensive reaction 

 (Abderhalden), but the amylase ordinarily in the blood seems to be a 

 waste substance on its way to excretion, rather than a functionating 

 enzyme of the blood. There appears to be no normal antiamylase in 

 the blood. Starch granules taken up by phagocytes show a glycogen 

 reaction after some time, suggesting that these cells have intracellular 

 diastases.^ 



Because of possible diagnostic significance, the amylolytic activity 

 of the urine has been particularly studied, and found normally to be 

 approximately constant for 24 hour specimens of the same individual. - 

 Anything impairing the excretory capacity of the kidney decreases the 

 urinary amylase, although sometimes when the urine contains blood, 

 pus, or much albumen there may be an increased amylase excretion in 

 spite of diminished functional activity. There may be an increase in 

 the amylase in the blood when the urinary amylase is decreased, but 

 with normal kidneys increase of the blood amylase causes an increase 

 in the urine; hence, acute pancreatic diseases cause an increased 

 urinary amylase (Stocks), but this is not constant (McClure and 

 Pratt). In diabetic urine it is said to be usually decreased, but this 

 is mostly accounted for by the dilution of the urine. Parenteral in- 

 jection of starch causes a marked increase in the amount of diastase in 

 the urine (King).^ 



99 De Niord and Schreiner, Arch. Int. Med., 1919 (23), 484. 



> Okazaki, Sei-I-Kwai Med. Jour., 1917 (36), 101. 



^ In infants the urine amylase is low (McClure and Chancellor, Zeit. Kinder- 

 heilk., 1914 (11), 483. Fetal blood contains much less than the maternal blood 

 (Kito, Amer. Jour. Physiol., 1919 (48), 481). 



3 Proc. Soc.^Exp. Biol., 1917 (15), 101. 



