Experimental production of specific proteidases. II. Experiments with 'Corynebacterium diphieriae' toxin

Abstract

The injection of toxin lo rabbits causes the appearance in the urine of these animals of specific ferments which desintegrate the toxin substratum, and the greater is the toxin dosis, the smaller this elimination, and viceversa, which seems to indicate that the defensive capacity of the organism is diminished in the States of serious poisoning.

In the rabbits injected with toxin and treated later with anatoxine tests demonstrate the presence of defensive proteasen, which hydrolize the toxin substratum. As in the former case, the intensity of the reaction stands in inverse ratio to the gravity of the toxic process.

The vaccination of the animals does not prevent either the elimination of the specific defensive enzymes, when a sufficient dosis of toxin is administered.

The subcutaneous application of anatoxin causes the intraorganic formation, and consequent appearance in the urine, of specific defensive ferments in presence of the toxin substratum. The increase of the anatoxin dosis influences proportionally the time of elimination through urine of said specific enzymes.