DIAMINURIA 481 



Baumann and ITdransky's suggestion of an oxidative origin from two 

 molecules of monoamins : 



2 CH 3 CH 2 .NH 2 + O = H 2 + CH 2 CH 2 .NH 2 



CH.NH 



is highly improbable, and Garcia's hypothesis that tetramethylendiamin 

 may originate from cystin is absolutely to be discarded. 



But whether, in the organism, diamins are always formed from 

 diamino acids in the same manner may be doubted. 



In cases of acute intestinal disturbance the responsible bacteria may 

 be considered as producers of the diamins since these bases are metabolism 

 products of microorganisms. 



Quite different are the conditions in the diaminuria which occurs in 

 the cystin diathesis. Baumann and Udransky have assumed an intestinal 

 origin for. these cases also : cadaverin and putrescin are formed by a 

 chronic intestinal mycosis and through their resorption give rise to cysti- 

 nuria and diaminviria. 



It is probable that cystinuria and genuine diaminuria possess at bottom 

 similar, perhaps identical, causes, namely, various gradual disturbances 

 of protein intermediary metabolism. 



Diaminuria and cystinuria have the relation to each other that they 

 represent a group of related disturbances of the normal protein transfor- 

 mation. Both depend on an anomaly in amino acid metabolism. The 

 latter touches most often the sulphur holding, seldomer the basic complexes 

 and at times extends to other cleavage products of protein. That the mono- 

 amino acid is excreted as such, the diamino acid after loss of carbon 

 dioxid, after decarboxylization, may have its source in chemical and 

 biological peculiarities of the diamino acids. At all events, decarboxyliza- 

 tion is a frequently observed physiological process. 



Kossel has found in herring sperm a base, C 5 H 14 N 4 named agmatin, 

 which is closely related to the diamins, especially to the tetramethylendia- 

 min. 



Apparently it is amino-butylen-guanidin, NH 2 .CH 2 CH 2 

 CH 2 CH 2 .NH C( :NH) NH 2 and according to Kossel has prob- 

 ably come from arginin by splitting off of CO 2 as putrescin comes from 

 58 = diamino-valerianic acid. 



We know of no severe artificial derangement of the normal protein 

 metabolism leading to a persistent diaminuria. Diamin feeding may 

 lead to their excretion. Small amounts of these bases are apparently com- 

 pletely oxidized. After giving 3 grams of tetramethylendiamin chlorid 

 to a dog, Baumann and Udransky found 0.056 gram dibenzoyl putrescin 

 in the urine and after giving 10 grams pentamethylendiamin as acetate 



