THE PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY OF COPPER SALTS OF AMINO ACIDS STUDIES ON THE BIOCHEMISTRY AND CHEMOTHERAPY OF TUBERCULOSIS XVI

¹ From the Department of Pathology of the University of Chicago and the Otho S. A. Sprague Memorial Institute

1. Copper, whether in the form of the sulphate, leucinate, glycinate or glutaminate, shows no variations in action when introduced into the conjunctiva of rabbits. The lower dilutions, 1 per cent, produce hyperemia and lacrimation to the same degree, while the higher dilutions are inactive.

2. Copper, in the salt forms named above, shows very little if any variation in ability to produce acute intoxication when introduced in dilute solutions, subcutaneously. The dilution is important as the local injury produced by the higher concentrations interferes with absorption. The toxic subcutaneous dose of all the salts was found to be between 4 to 6 mgm. per kilo for guinea pigs.

3. Copper, in the salt forms named above, shows no variations in action when introduced intracutaneously. The lower dilutions cause necrosis and induration and the higher dilutions cause little or no change. The histological picture with the same dilution of all salts is the same.

4. Copper, in the salt forms named above, shows no variation in action when introduced in small gradually increasing doses, 0.5 to 1 mgm. copper per kilo, for a long period of time, one hundred and five days, either subcutaneously or intramuscularly. This dosage of copper seems to produce no gross or microscopic changes in the liver, kidney, spleen, heart, or lungs, although the liver and kidney both show marked increase in amounts of copper when analyzed.

5. Copper, in the salt forms named above, shows no variation in ability to dialyze through celloidin sacs when either water or horse-serum are used both inside and outside the sac. The rate of dialysis is somewhat faster with distilled water than with horse serum.

6. Copper, in the salt forms named above, shows no variation in action when introduced by feeding in small gradually increasing doses, to 10 mgm. per kilo per day, for a long time, seventy-two days. The deposition of copper in the liver and kidney and the lack of gross and microscopic changes in the tissues examined, simulate the findings in those experiments where the copper was introduced subcutaneously or intramuscularly.

7. This experimental work seems to show that the three copper amino acids examined produce exactly the same physiological effects as a simple inorganic salt, copper sulphate.