The Lethal Action of Brain Extracts for the Rabbit and Guinea Pig

[摘要] The following rather curious and unsuspected phenomenon was encountered in connection with the intravenous injection of an extract of rabbit brain into the ear vein of the rabbit. This tissue had been thoroughly macerated in physiological salt solution and allowed to stand for two hours at 37°C. The mixture was centrifuged, the supernatant liquid withdrawn and injected in 2 cc. amounts. The rabbits died within from two to three minutes without outward manifestation of violent symptoms such as one sees in anaphylactic shock. The rabbit dies as if all its vital functions were suddenly overwhelmed. Autopsy showed no distinguishing characteristics beyond a greatly engorged liver.We were inclined at first to believe that death resulted from mechanical obstruction of the blood stream as it was impossible to centrifuge the macerated brain mixture free from finely suspended particles. This assumption was strengthened by the fact that the material when passed through a Berkefeld filter proved non-“toxic” for the rabbit even when injected in 10 cc. amounts.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）