The determination of blood lipase has been proposed by SEABRA as a method for detecting predisposition to initial or subsequent stages of tuberculosis; normal subjects having high titers (8-12 units), tuberculous patients low ones (5-7), falling to zero in advanced stages of the disease. An assay of the method has been made by the AA. in sera of 238 non tuberculous subjects (419 tests) and 207 tuberculous ones (456 tests) following the technical procedures described by SEABRA. All of them had their Roentgenographies taken at the same day of blood collection. Factors interfering with blood lipase values in tuberculosis are discussed. A relationship between the course of the disease and the serum lipase could not be confirmed. High and low values were found in initial as well as in advanced cases. Our results are in agreement with those recorded in the literature (Figs. I and II). It seems that the general condition, rather than pulmonary lesions are responsible for the blood lipase values. There was no direct relationship between blood lipase titer and severity of pulmonary tuberculosis; however the data presented in this paper do not agree with such correlation, stated by SEABRA, FERNANDES and VICENTE.

A esterase, aliesterase, foi determinada no sôro de 38 ratos de ambos os sexos, 6 hamsters, 34 cobaias e S coelhos, pela técnica de Huggins e Lapides. Os resultados obtidos para os machos e fêmeas foram tabelados em separado. As fêmeas apresentaram uma esterasemia maior que os machos, com uma média global de 11.6 U/ml ± 4.01 e um erro padrão de 0.83 enquanto que para os machos a média foi de 6.9 U ml ± 0.99 com um erro padrão de 0.26. A significância calculada pclo t foi de 4.4 Isto demonstra a interferência da aliesterase na produção ou no metabolismo dos estrogênios. Os valores médios encontrados para as cobaias foram 4.50 U/ ml ± 0.15, com um êrro padrão de 0.036 para as fêmeas e 4.28 U / ml ± 0.30 com um êrro padrão de 0.073 para os machos, sendo a significância (t) de 2.6. Para os coelhos (machos) a média foi de 4.41 U / ml ± 0.16, com um erro padrão de 0.058 enquanto para os hamsters os valores foram de 4.01 U/l ± 0.085, êrro padrão de 0.049 para os machos e 3.81 U/ml ± 0.227, êrro padrão de 0.133 para as fêmeas. Os animais castrados mostram uma diminuição progressiva da esterase no sôro, enquanto que nos castrados e tratados com estrogênios, êstes valores atingem o teôr normal. Os resultados obtidos nestes casos serão objeto de publicação ulterior.

Esterase, "aliesterase" was determined, in blood sera from 38 rats, 6 hamsters, 34 guinea-pig and 8 rabbits by the Huggins & Lapides' method. Normal values for male and female animals were related separately. In female rat, blood aliesterase is higher within a mean value of 11.6 U/ml ± 4.01 and standard error of 0.83. Aliesterase sera values in male are lower than in female. The mean value being 6.9 U/ml ± 0.99, standard error, 0.26. The significance of means (t) for female and male rats was 4.4. This fact reveals that aliesterase concentration in sera is related with estrogen production or metabolism. For guinea-pig the mean values were 4.50 U/ml ± 0.15, standard error 0.036 (female) and 4.28 U/ml ± 0.30, standard error. 0.073 (male), the significance value (t) being 2.6. The rabbits showed a mean value of 4.41 U/ml ± 0.16, standard error, 0.058, while the hamsters presented 4.10 U/ml ± 0.085, standard error. 0.049 for the males and 3.81 U/ml + 0.227, standard error. 0.133 for females. Castrated animals showed a progressive decrease in the serum aliesterase. Results obtained with castrated and estrogens treated animals will be related in a further paper.

O APG ministrado subcutaneamente a camondongos normais em injeção unica após 24 hs produz um aumento do peso total dos rins e uma baixa da fosfatase alcalina destes orgãos. Os valores normais foram baseados em experiencias feitas em 54 camondongos e comparados com outros obtidos com 88 camondongos injetados com doses crescentes de APG (0,5~500mg/k). A fosfatase alcalina foi determinada por uma modificação do metodo colorimetro de King & Armstrong. A retenção e precipitação do APG nos estudosrenais parece ser responsavel pelo aumento de peso e a abaixa das fosfatase dos rins.

PGA when administered subcutaneously into normal mice in a single injection produces after 24 hours an affective increase of the total weight and a decrease of the "alkaline" phosphatase of the kidneys. Normal values based on 54 mice are reported and compared with those obtained from 88 mice injected with graded doses of PGA (0.5mg/Kg to 500mg/Kg body weight. The "alkaline" phosphatase was determined by a slight modification of the colorimetric method of king & Armstrong using disodium phenylphosphate as a substrate. It is suggested that the retention and precipitation of PGA in the renal tubuli could be responsible for the increased weight and decreased phosphatase activity of the kidneys.

Studies have been carried out on the method of Britton and Silvette modified by Reinecke and Kendall, for the evaluation of cortico-adrenal extracts, based on the deposition of glycogen in the liver of adrenaletomized rats. The test was performed in a total of 180 normal and adrenalectomized rats. The extracts tested were: a) an aqueous extract of cortico-adrenal cortex prepared by the Swingle and Pfiffner technique; b) the same extract added with ascorbic acid (Supracortin Labor); c) desoxycorticosterone acetate (Percortol Ciba and Syncortyl Roussell). Male rats were used, ranging from 40-200g, fed since the 18 th days old with a special diet, in which they were maintained until the day before the injection. Adrenalectomy was performed under urethane anesthesia. The fourth day after operation, food was removed and they were fasted for 24 hours. In the morning of the fifth day, injections of the material to be assayed were given at hourly and two hours intervals, during four to eight hours. One or two hours after the last injection, the animals were sacrified, the livers removed and dropped into a hot 30% solution of potassium hydroxide, and worked by Good, Kramer and Somogyi method. The glycogen was calculated as milligrams per lOOg of body and liver weight. The results obtained are shown in the tables I, II, and III. When several dosages of the same sample of extract were made (5 animals each dose), the amount of glycogen deposited in the liver per lOOg of body and liver weight, was found to be a positive function of the dose injected. The graph 2, shows these results. The synthetic compounds were ineffective. Our results are in agreement with those of Reinecke and Kendall and of Olson et al.

A chemical test previously described for the diagnosis of pregnancy was applied to the study of the excretion of gonadotropin in the urine during menstrual cycle. The chemical test is based on the selective adsorption by kaolim of the reducing substances biologically related to urinary gonadotropin. The active substance when acidified to pH 4.0 is adsorbed by the kolin and eluated with O.1N sodium hydroxide. The alkaline solution is treated by Somogyi's copper reagent and the excess not reduced is titrated by 0.005 N sodium thiosulfate. Gonadotropin is quantitatively addorbed by kaolin at pH 4.0 and eluated by alkaline solution as previously demonstrated by the A. (1). In the present paper the complete menstrual cycle was studied daily. It was observed that normally there are two distinct maxima of excretion. This study is based on 11 normal cycles (24-30 days) and 34 abnormal ones. Normal cycles showed a intramenstrual estrogens elimination from 200 to 260 mice units determinated by the Allen - Doisy full estrus smear test. The abnormal cycles belonging also to normal women showed much less estrogen excretion (14 to 25 mice units) Table II). In those cases with decreased estrogen excretion no fall in the curve after 14 th. day was observed. The A. suggest that the peaks of gonadotropin excretion is not related to the oculation but possibly due, the first one, to the follicle stimulating hormone and the second to the luteinizing hormone of hormone stimulating of the inerstitial tissue.

A critical study of three methods for the determination of lactic acid (EDWARDS, MENDEL & GOLDSCHEIDER, MILLER & MUNTZ) is presented and some modifications are proposed. It was shown t hat more accurate results could be obtained with Edward's technic when an Iena glass filter is connected with the absorption tube. Before the dropping of the permanganate solution it is necessary to pass a current of air through the reaction flask to avoid the oxidation of the non-lactic acid substances which interfere with the reaction. The absorption tube must be maintained at 18°C during the destillation and the titration of the bisulphite binding aldehyde at 4°C. When the sample contains more than 5 mg it is useful to work with greater quantities of the bisulphite. More permanganate is consumed when the lactic acid concentration is higher. The sensivity of the method permits the titration of 0.04 mg to 5 mg of lactic acid in the sample. The calculated error of the method gave 0.018 % and the normal values for blood determined in 20 human cases averaged 10.30 mg per 100 ml (Table VI). MENDEL and GOLDSCHEIDER'S method was modified in the following details: Somogyis deproteinization was performed instead metaphosphoric acid as in the original method; to avoid the evaporation of the acetic aldehyde during the heating time with sulfuric acid a special glass stopped tube is proposed (Fig. 2). The reaction with sulfuric acid and veratrol is performed in an ice bath. Blood proteins precipitants were tried and Somogyi's lattest tecnic showed better results (Table V). Colorimetric readings were done in the PULFRICH photometer using filter S 53 and a 10 mm cup. The method is accurate within an error of 0.23 % and samples of 5 to 70 microg. could be easily determined. Normal values for human blood averaged 10.78 mg per 100 ml. More accurate results were obtained with the technic of MILLER & MUNTZ. Slight modifications were introduced: deproteinization with copper sulfate and sodium tungstate; satured p-hydroxydiphenyl solution according to KOENEMANN which is stable for 5 months when stored in the ice-box. Using the PULFRICH step-photometer the error is 0.17% with samples varying from 0.1 to 10 microg. of lactic acid. The filter employed was S 57 with the 5 mm cup. The method was adapted to 0.1 ml of blood. Normal values for human blood gave an average of 10.58 mg per 100 ml.