THE METABOLISM OF SKIN - EFFECT OF VESICANT AGENTS

[摘要] Expts. on the respiration of skin slices in the Warburg apparatus disclosed that fetal skin had high respiration and glycolysis, which was 5-6 times higher than that of adult skin. This high metabolic activity lasted in the rat skin until about 7 days after birth, when it dropped abruptly to the values of adult skin. Human fetal skin showed little differences in respiration to adult skin. The metabolic activity of fetal rat skin as measured by the utilization of pyruvate was 10 times higher than that of adult skin. Citrate and alpha-ketoglutarate were not utilized by skin. Studies on the utilization of various amino acids, fatty acids and other substances showed the different behavior of skin as compared with other tissue. Expts. on the influence of BAL on the skin metabolism showed an increase of the skin glycolysis and a partial restoration of the inhibition produced by mustard gas.