Diaminuria 



JACOB ROSENBLOOM 



PITTSBUBGH 



Some subjects of cystinuria excrete certain diamins in the urine. 

 Banmann and von Udransky discovered Dutrescin, or tetramethylendi- 

 amin in the urine of a cystinuric. 



CH 2 



CH 2 CH 2 .NH 2 and cadaverin 

 or pentamethylendiamin. 



CH 2 Clio NH 2 



>CH 2 

 CH 2 CH 2 NH 2 



These substances may occur together or separately and are also fre- 

 quently found in the feces and in the intestinal contents. 



It has been shown by Ellinger, by feeding experiments that lysin 

 is the mother substance of cadaverin and arginin or ornithin is the mother 

 substance of putrescin. 



In severe gastro-intestinal disorders they have also been found in the 

 feces. Neuberg(Z) gave arginin and lysin to a cystinuric not excreting 

 diamins, and found diamins in the urine but not in the feces. Doubt- 

 less diaminuria, like cystinuria, may have an exogenous as well as an 

 endogenous origin. Steyer found that diamins were formed in the 

 autolysis of pancreas and this speaks in favor of the possibility of their 

 origin by the putrefaction of protein. 



In cases of intestinal formation of these diamins it is known that 

 bacteria are the producers of these substances, but in cystinuria accom- 

 panied by diaminuria the conditions are different In these cases the 

 same metabolic fault is present as leads to the excretion of the cystin, 

 since some of these subjects also excrete other of the primary, protein 

 fractions. Both leucin and tyrosin and lysin have been found in cystinu- 

 ric urines. At times a third diamin seems to occur, the so-called neuridin 

 or saprin, found by Brieger. It may be an isomer of cadaverin but its 

 constitution and its formation are at present unknown. 



The quantity of diamins excreted is subject to great variations, 



479 



