688 



ARTHUR ISAAC KENDALL 



Beta imidazole ethylamin depresses the blood pressure upon injec- 

 tion, thus differing from the amins with benzene nuclei. 



Continued formation of these aromatic amins is probably taking 

 place within the alimentary canal in those whose diet is rich in protein, 

 or whose peristalsis is sluggish, and in whom therefore there must be a 

 protein residuum at levels where the colon and proteus organisms can 

 grow. Such individuals would appear to have the bacterio-chemical basis 

 for increased blood pressure and other symptoms indicative of the phar- 

 macological action of these drugs. Usually such is not the case. 



When the liver is functioning well, it appears to possess the ability 

 of changing the aromatic amins, which are brought to it from the intes- 

 tinal vessels, through a process of direct, oxidative deamination to cor- 

 responding fatty acid derivatives. 



Thus, tyramin is changed to paraoxyphenyl acetic acid : 



OH 



OH 



CH 2 CH,NH 2 

 Tyramin 



CH 2 .COOH 

 Paraoxyphenyl acetic acid. 



and indol ethylamin is changed to indol acetic acid, thus: 

 CH 9 CH 9 NH 9 A CH 2 COOH 



Indol ethylamin 



Indol acetic acid (urorosein) 



Erwins and Laidlaw have actually shown by perfusiou experiments 

 that indol ethylamin and tyramin are changed respectively to indol acetic 

 acid and to paraoxyphenyl acetic acid. This suggests that the normal 

 condition is one in which the amounts of aromatic amins absorbed from 

 the intestinal contents and carried with the portal blood to the liver, are 

 oxidized, and thus rendered adynamic in that organ. 15 Defective oxida- 

 tion powers, or a flood of aromatic amins too great for the liver to 

 handle, would lead to the escape of the unaltered amins into the general 

 circulation, where they might well lead to increased blood pressure and 

 associated symptoms. 



The preliminary studies of Woolley and Newburgh upon the effects 



15 Folin and Denis have apparently found that the oxidization and subsequent pair- 

 ing of phenols is less quantitative than had been supposed. 



