The Chemical Nature of a Factor in Hog Stomach Extracts that Reduces the Creatinuria of Muscular Dystrophy

Abstract

The fat-soluble fraction of hog gastric mucin which lowered creatinuria at dosage of 100 mg. was allowed to lose activity by standing at room temp. for 3 mos. Corresponding to the drop in anticreatinuria potency, there was a drop in reducing power for FeCl3 in a modified Em-merie and Engel assay from 0.77% to 0.07%, while all biological potency was lost. This suggested that the inactivation might be by autoxidation comparable to the formation of tocopheryl-p-quinones from tocopherols. In case of the tocopheryl-p-quinones, the original tocopherol can be restored by reduction of the qui-none to the hydroquinone and cyclizing in the presence of mineral acids. If the anticreatinuria factor has properties of tocopherols, reduction in presence of acid should restore its activity. The inactivated material was reduced by refluxing for 2 hrs. in an isooctane-ethanol mixture containing 5 g. of SnCl2 and 5 ml. of concentrated HC1. A 225-mg. dose of the resulting product had no biological potency. A control using tocopheryl-p-quinone showed complete conversion to tocopherol. Another sample of inactivated gastric mucin fraction was refluxed for 30 min. in the same solvent with 0.7 g. SnCl2 and 0.5 ml. concentrated HC1; and 225 mg. of this product decreased creatinuria. A control using tocopheryl-p-quinone showed the formation of tocopheryl-p-hydroquinone, and a 1 mg. dose of pure synthetic alpha-tocopheryl-p-hydroquinone duplicated the action of the anticreatinuria fraction of gastric mucin. This indicates that the active constituent in hog gastric mucin is related to tocopheryl-p-hydroquinone.