Die enzymatische Spaltung von Atropin, Cocain und chemisch verwandten Estern

Abstract

Serum atropine esterase is irregularly distributed in rabbits, 35-50% of the animals containing it. It is not excreted in the urine. The activity of serum containing the enzyme is increased by atropine treatment, but atropine does not cause formation of the enzyme in rabbits which do not initially contain it. Normal human serum does not contain the esterase nor does that from cases of Parkinson''s disease. Physostigmine inhibits the splitting of atropine; Mg++, Mn++ , Co++ , Na++ , K++ , Ca++ , thyroxine, glutathione, L-ascorbic acid and leucylglycylglycine have no effect. Atropine and hyoscyamine are split at equal speeds by the enzyme, homatropine more slowly. About 30% of rabbits contained an enzyme which splits cocaine and the methyl ester of 1-ecgonine; there is no correlation between the occurrence of atropine and cocaine esterases. Sera from normal humans and treated cases of Parkinson''s disease contain no cocaine esterase.