44 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. VII, No. t 
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FORMATION OF HEMATOPORPHYRIN DURING 
THE AUTOLYSIS OF MUSCULAR TISSUE 
It seems proper to call attention to the possible significance of the 
formation of hematoporphyrin under the conditions which have been 
described not only as regards the excretion of this compound by the 
body under pathological conditions but also as related to the normal 
transformation of hemoglobin into bile pigments. 
Occurrence. —Hematoporphyrin occurs in traces as a constituent of 
the normal urine of man and of the higher animals, and it has been 
found in the feces. It occurs most frequently, and in largest quantities, 
as a constituent of the urine under pathological conditions, particularly 
in cases of poisoning with sulphonal, trional, tetronal, lead, and phos¬ 
phorus; in case of fevers and of gastric and intestinal hemorrhages; in 
diseases of the liver; and in various cases of acute infectious diseases— 
for example, tuberculosis, nephritis, pleuritis, rheumatism, and Addi¬ 
son’s disease—and under certain other conditions. 
Formation in The body. —Comparatively little appears to be known as 
to how or where hematoporphyrin is formed in the body. 
Oswald 1 states that very little is known concerning the place or 
method of production of hematoporphyrin in the body. He discusses 
the hypotheses proposed by various investigators concerning the sub¬ 
ject and concludes that the evidence seems to indicate that hemato¬ 
porphyrin originates in the blood stream, particularly since this pigment 
is often found in the urine in cases of hemoglobinuria. In concluding the 
discussion on the subject the author states: 
Jedenfalls ist die Frage nach dem Orte der Hamatoporphyrinbildung noch nicht 
entschieden. Sie bedarf noch weiterer Bearbeitung. 
Although a diligent search has been made in the literature relating to 
hematoporphyrin, no satisfactory explanation, based upon experimental 
evidence, has been found as to the method of formation or the seat of 
production of that compound in the body. 
The experiments which are reported in this paper show that the 
striated muscular tissue of the ox contains enzyms which, under ana¬ 
erobic conditions, readily reduce oxyhemoglobin to hematoporphyrin. 
These findings appear to offer a satisfactory explanation as to the method 
and source of production of hematoporphyrin in the body. 
As has been previously noted, hematoporphyrin may occur in the 
urine in very small quantities under physiological conditions; but it 
occurs most often and in largest quantities under certain pathological 
conditions, notably (i) those obtaining in cases of poisoning or disease 
where the liver cells are destroyed or inactivated and (2) those obtaining in 
case of certain diseases or other conditions that cause an abnormal libera¬ 
tion of free hemoglobin into the blood stream. 
1 Oswald, Adolph. Dehrbuch der chemischen Pathologie. S. 17J-176. I^eipzig, 1907. 
