ENZYMES OF THE LIVER. 365 



cell under normal conditions is doubtful; but in retention of the bile the 

 cells may absorb the coloring-matter and become colored thereby. 



A large number of enzymes are found in the liver, such as catalases, 

 oxidases, the glycolytic enzymes, which will be spoken of later, the 

 enzymes taking part in the formation of uric acid and destruction of uric 

 acid (Chapter XV), the arginase, which forms urea, and the diastase 

 acting upon glycogen, the ester-splitting Upases and the proteolytic 

 enzymes. 1 



The proteolytic enzymes of the liver are of special interest, especially 

 in regard to the study of the autolysis of this organ. The processes 

 in the liver in phosphorus poisoning and in acute yellow atrophy of the 

 liver are considered as an intravitally increased autolysis. In these 

 cases a softening of the organ takes place, and proteoses, mono- and 

 diamino-acids, and other bodies are produced, which may also be found 

 in the urine, and although they may not all be derived from the liver 

 (NEUBERG and RICHTER), they are at least in part derived from this organ. 

 WAKEMAN has found in phosphorus poisoning that not only is the quan- 

 tity of nitrogen markedly diminished in the liver (of dogs), but also- 

 that the quantity of nitrogen of the hexone bases is diminished, and 

 that the part of the protein molecule richer in nitrogen is first removed 

 and eliminated under these conditions. A similar condition has been 

 observed by WELLS in the idiophatic, acute yellow atrophy of the 

 liver. In consideration of the variable results for the diamino-nitrogen 

 even under normal conditions (GLIKIN and A. LoEWY 2 ), it is desirable 

 that a greater number of observations be made on this subject. The 

 increased consumption of glycogen under the above-mentioned patholog- 

 ical conditions may also be considered as an increased autolysis, while 

 the claim of certain observers that fat is formed in the autolysis of the 

 liver is according to SAXL S to be considered only as a more pronounced 

 appearance of the fat previously occurring in the organ. 



Besides the above-mentioned organic constituents in the liver we must 

 mention the glucothionic acid found by MANDEL and LEVENE, whose 

 chemical individuality is doubted, as well as the nitrogenous carbohy- 

 drate found in the liver by SEEGEN and NEIMANN which also requires 

 further investigation, and whose occurrence in the liver could not be 

 substantiated by TtJRKEL. 4 



1 Granstrom, Hofmeister's Beitrage, 11, claims to have found in the liver an enzyme 

 which he calls glyoxylase, which destroys glyoxylic acid. 



2 Neuberg and Richter, Deutsch. med. Wochenschr., 1904; Wakeman, Zeitschr. f. 

 physiol. Chem., 44; Wells, Journ. of Exper. Med., 9; Glikin and Loewy, Bioch. Zeit- 

 schr., 10. 



3 Hofmeister's Beitrage, 10. 



4 Mandel and Levene, Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 45; Seegen, Centralbl. f. Physiol.,, 



