“On the decomposition of purin bodies by animal tissues”

The authors aimed in this work to study the products of decomposition of purin bodies in the tissues. Jones, Schittenhelm and Levene have observed that aminopurins are transformed into oxypurins. It is well known that purin bodies undergo complete destruction in the course of tissue autolysis.

The authors have studied the conditions most favorable for the process of purin decomposition by animal tissues, and have endeavored to ascertain the general nature of the substances formed during the process. It was found that the presence of 0.5 per cent. of sodium carbonate in mixtures of spleen pulp facilitated the decomposition of purin bodies to such an extent that even uric acid was broken up by that tissue. It was also noticed that the decomposition products were nonbasic in nature, for they were not precipitated by phosphotungstic acid. On the decomposition of uric acid by tissue extracts, a formation of ammonia could not be detected.