STUDIES ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF NON-POLAR-POLAR ORGANIC ELECTROLYTES : I. THE INFLUENCE UPON THE RESTING POTENTIAL OF FROG MUSCLE

1. The commonly used detergents have a poisonous effect, which is due to the non-polar-polar configuration of their organic anion. The non-polar organophilic half of the ion is built up by a long chain of alkyl radicals (8 to 18 carbon atoms), the polar hydrophilic half by a sulfonate or sulfate. If brought into contact with the organic surface membrane of a cell, this structure, due to the strong attachment of the alkyl chains to its surface, and due to the pull of the hydrophilic part towards the surrounding water, is subjected to a heavy stress terminating in tearing to pieces the membrane (by denaturing and loosening the membrane components; bacteriolysis, cytolysis). Correspondingly, with frog muscle, one end of which has been treated with the detergent solution, an irreversible negative injury potential is produced. 2. Applying, instead, the compounds bearing short chains of alkyl radicals (1 to 6 carbon atoms), producing less stress on the membrane and correspondingly a slighter derangement of its architecture, a reversible positive resting potential appears. This is interpreted to be the effect of the non-polar part of the anion, which, due to its surface activity, intrudes into the pores of the membranes, notwithstanding the negative charge of their walls. 3. The short chained detergents seem to be replaceable by various organic "semidetergents," the organophilic behavior of their anion being represented by a slight chemical affinity (NH₂), the hydrophilic by the effect of a carboxyl group (COO) instead of sulfate or sulfonate. The effect of the semidetergents on muscle is a positive reversible potential. Their physiological significance may be visualized as a functional activation.     

THE EFFECT OF PORTA-CAVAL ANASTOMOSIS UPON THE ENERGY STATE AND UPON ACID-BASE PARAMETERS OF THE RAT BRAIN

Abstract— In order to evaluate the influence of porta-caval anastomosis upon the energy state of the brain, lightly anaesthetized rats were studied either 1 or 5 weeks after the shunting procedure and the brains (frontal lobe, cerebellum and brainstem) were analysed for carbohydrate substrates and organic phosphates. The ammonia contents of arterial blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and tissue increased progressively in the shunted groups and at 5 weeks the increases were three- to six-fold. In all brain structures studied there were decreases in the glucose and in the aspartate contents but regional differences existed for glucose-6-phosphate, α-ketoglutaratc and glutamate. In the brainstem the tissue contents of glucose-6-phosphate and α-ketoglutarate fell while glutamate was unchanged. Calculation of the cytoplasmatic redox state from the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the malate dehydrogenase (MDH) equilibria indicated that the NADH/NAD⁺ ratio increased in the shunted groups. However, since there was no significant fall in the calculated adenylate energy charge, it is concluded that porta-caval anastomosis, and the accompanying hyperammonemia, do not disrupt the balance between production and utilization of energy in the brain.     

THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL UPON THE GROWTH OF SEEDLINGS

In this paper it is shown that if the dry seeds of the cantaloupe (Cucumis melo) are soaked for 3 hours in solutions of ethyl alcohol of concentration ranging from 2 to 16 per cent by volume, and then germinated and grown in distilled water in the dark, the total growth attained is greater by amounts ranging from 9 to 35 per cent than is that made by seeds treated in every way identically except that they are initially soaked in distilled water instead of alcohol. It is shown that this result is not due simply to differences in osmotic pressure in the different alcohol solutions. It is probably due to a simple selective action of the alcohol which eliminates the constitutionally weak and defective seeds.