Abstract
Comparisons of papain and trypsin solutions in vitro demonstrate quantitatively the markedly greater stability of papain on storage at 40° and its relative insensitiveness to the presence of serum. Papain solutions at 1:15,000 concentration are shown to maintain about 50 per cent of their original proteolytic activity per unit volume after a five-hour period in the peritoneal cavity. With normal animals, the minimal fatal concentration of papain is about 1:2,200, using 1 liter of solution per 10-kgm. dog. With dogs, in which adhesions have been surgically divided and the same proportions of papain solutions introduced, the behavior is not different than might be expected from the additional trauma. Intraperitoneal hemorrhage, corresponding to 8 to 14 cc. blood, is obtained with rapidly fatal concentrations and this diminishes with decreasing concentrations to slight or imperceptible hemorrhage at 1:15,000 concentrations. Using rats, the peritoneal irritation is about equal for equal concentrations of papain and trypsin.
Footnotes
- Received July 9, 1931.
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