200 NUCLEIC ACIDS AND THE NITROGENOUS BASES 



contains an iminazolyl radical and is, therefore, related to Ergamine. 

 The active substance which, in aqueous solutions, is known by the 

 trade name of Pituitrin, gives the Biuret-reaction and its activity is 

 rapidly destroyed by trypsin; it is consequently believed to be a 

 Peptamine or an amine derived from a polypeptide containing a histidine 

 radical. Several synthetic peptamines have been prepared but their 

 actions have hitherto been found to be much weaker than those of the 

 simpler amines. 



A parent-material, which yields pituitrin, or at least a substance 

 resembling pituitrin in its action upon the uterus after hydrolysis by 

 acids or alkalies (Fig. 6), is found in the Anterior Lobe or glandular 

 portion of the pituitary body. This substance, which is a water- 

 soluble phospholipin, has been designated Tethelin. The histological 

 structure and anatomical relationship of the two parts of t he pituitary 

 body are such as to suggest that the anterior lobe furnishes some 

 material to the posterior lobe, and it is therefore, possible that the 

 posterior lobe manufactures pituitrin from tethelin supplied to it by 

 the anterior lobe. 



A nitrogenous base of unknown composition appears to be the active 

 principle in acidified aqueous extracts of intestinal mucosa which 

 stimulates the secretion of Pancreatic Juice when these extracts are 

 injected intravenously. The substance which is known as Secretin, 

 is insoluble in neutral water, soluble in dilute acids, and precipitable 

 by mercuric chloride and by picric acid. 



REFERENCES. 

 GENERAL: 



Jones: The Nucleic Acids. London, 1914. 

 Barger: The Simpler Natural Bases. London, 1914. 

 THE NUCLEIC ACIDS: 



Jones and Rowntree: Jour. Biol. Chem., 1908, 4, p. 289. 



Jones and Richards: Ibid., 1914, 17, p. 71. 



Wells: Ibid., 1916-1917, 28, p. 11. 



Jones and Read: Ibid., 1917, 29, pp. Ill and 123; 1917, 31, pp. 39 and 337. 



Read: Ibid., 1917, 31, p. 47. 



Read and Tottingham: Ibid., 1917, 31, p. 295. 



Levene: Ibid., 1917, 31, p. 591. 



VlTAMINES: 



Funk: Ergeb. d. Physiol., 1913, 13, p. 125. 



Folin and Macallum: Jour. Biol. Chem., 1912, 11, p. 265. 



Funk and Macallum: Biochem. Jour., 1913, 7, p. 356. 



Williams: Jour. Biol. Chem., 1916, 25, p. 437; 1917, 29, p. 495. 



Williams and Seidell: Ibid., 1916, 26, p. 431. 



Voegtlin and Myers: U. S. Pub. Health Service. Reprint No. 471. Pub. Health 



Reports, Washington, 1918. 

 PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIONS OF THE BASES. 



Sollmann: A Manual of Pharmacology. Philadelphia, 1917. 



Cushny: A Text-book of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Philadelphia, 1918. 



Schafer: The Endocrine Organs. New York, 1916. 



Maxwell: Jour. Biol. Chem., 1907, 3, p. 359. 



Guggenheim: Biochem. Zeit., 1913, 51, p. 369; 1914, 65, p. 189. 



Schmidt and May: Jour. Lab. and Clin. Mod., 1916-17, 2, p. 708. 



