132 



Scientific Proceedings (106). 



72 (1532) 



The effect of compression on tissue enzymes. 



By Bert Holmes Hite and Withrow Morse. 



[From the West Virginia Experiment Station Laboratories of Chem- 

 istry and the School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, 

 Morgantown.] 



The senior author (B.H.H.) has studied various enzymes 

 when subjected to great compression in a special hydraulic press, 

 capable of delivering pressure of over (10) 5 pounds per square inch. 

 As a rule, these enzymes are inhibited or destroyed. At the same 

 time, there is generally lee-way between the destruction of enzymes 

 and the total destruction of bacteria included in the preparations. 

 It is well known from the work of investigators, such as Wolbach, 

 Sakai and Jackson, 1 that it is difficult if not impossible to obtain 

 aseptic autolytic digests by employing the most rigid asepsis in 

 operations of removing organs from mammals, for included 

 bacteria are practically always present. The junior writer (W.M.) 

 has abundantly verified this conclusion, although there exist 

 reports of investigations, as those of Magnus-Levy, 2 where the 

 work was controlled by aerobic and anaerobic cultures and aseptic 

 organ suspensions seem to have been obtained. We have no 

 suggestion to make regarding this discrepancy. 



In order to determine whether the lee-way mentioned above is 

 of sufficient extent to warrant an attempt to study tissue enzyme 

 action apart from bacteria, the following experiments were con- 

 ducted, rabbits being used as subjects, the livers being excised, 

 sieved, weighed to 20 per cent, digest, 10 g. and 25 g. portions being 

 transferred to special blocked tin tubes, resembling vaseline tubes, 

 which were tightly stoppered by means of screw-caps, each tube 

 then being introduced into the cylinder of the press surrounded 

 by a jacket of water. The following table gives the number of 

 the sample, the pressure involved, the time of exposure to this 

 pressure and the Kjeldahl data utilized to follow the rate of 

 digestion, if any 3 ; the term "initial" refers to the non-protein 



1 Wolbach, Sakai and Jackson, Journ. Med. Res., 1909, 21, 267. 



1 Magnu9-Levy, Hofmeister's Beiirdge, 1902, 2, 261. 



* For details see Bradley and Morse, Journ. Biol. Chem., 1915. >!• 209. 



