Enzymatic Studies on the Experimental Ileus of a Rabbit: I. On the Enzymatic Activity of the Fluid Contents of the Small Intestinal Loop Tied-Off in Experimental Ileus

Abstract

Many investigation were carried out in order to throw light on the mechanism of paralysis and intoxication in the case of ileus. Certain investigators believe that toxic proteoses formed in the obstructed intestine should be responsible for these phenomena, but nothing definite is known in these fields. From the pharmacological point of view Hirata (1) (1950) has observed that a little portion of the lower part of the small intestine of a rabbit, experimentally set apart by the double ligatures and laid in a blocked state for 24–48 hours, does not react on the various drugs examined, such as atropin, adrenalin, acetylcholin, etc., showing the para lyzed state of the obstructed, separated intestine. He could not find any pharmacological actions, such as histamine, in the inner fluid of the operated intestine, of which mucosaa seemed to be somewhat necrotic and crumbled in some cases. Here rises a problem as to how the enzymatic activity of the intestine contents behaves in the small intestine loops laid aside by the double ligation. Very little is known about the enzymes in such a case. As the autolytic phenomena of the animal necrotic tissues are due to the activity of their proteolytic enzymes, it seems to be important to investigate these protease actions of the inner fluid of the intestinal loops, which were set aside by the ligatures.