Enzymes and Antienzymes of the Blood Serum. 99 



pancreas is pretreated with sodium hydrate, the same type of inac- 

 tivity results as is observed in like treatment of liver. This inactive 

 pancreatic extract can readily be activated, however, by the addi- 

 tion of enterokinase. Furthermore, when liver, which has become 

 active in alkaline medium by standing is treated with 0.4 per cent, 

 sodium hydrate, inactivity which occurs when fresh liver is so 

 treated is not produced. 



In contrast to the effect of alkaline treatment upon the pro- 

 teolytic enzymes of liver and pancreas is its effect upon the alkaline 

 digesting enzyme of the polymorphonuclear leucocyte. It has 

 been observed that the leucoprotease of the polymorphonuclear 

 leucocyte maintains its activity when kept continuously in alkaline 

 medium, and is able to effect proteolysis after treatment with 

 sodium hydrate. From this observation it seems probable that 

 leucoprotease exists in the cell in an active form. 



The work outlined leads to the following conclusions. Auto- 

 lysis of fresh normal liver progresses much more favorably in acid 

 than in alkaline medium. Allowing liver to stand, and treating 

 liver with weak acetic acid call into activity an enzyme which 

 shows marked proteolysis in alkaline medium. This enzyme 

 exists in the cell in an inactive form. Liver probably contains 

 two proteolytic enzymes, one acting in acid and the other in alka- 

 line medium. The inhibitory effect of alkali upon liver autolysis 

 is referable to the preservation of the zymogen condition of the 

 enzyme which acts in alkali. The maintenance of the equilibrium 

 of the proteolytic enzymes of liver must be intimately dependent 

 upon the preservation of tissue neutrality. The fact that leucopro- 

 tease is active after pretreatment with alkali suggests that this 

 enzyme exists in the cell in an active form. 



62 (472) 



Enzymes and antienzymes of the blood serum with certain 

 degenerative changes in the liver. 



By EUGENE L. OPIE and BERTHA I. BARKER. 



[From the Laboratories of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical 



Research^ 



Since the liver undergoes advanced degenerative changes with 

 chloroform poisoning it is possible that proteolytic enzymes are set 



