THE EFFECT OF GROWTH HORMONE UPON LIVER AND KIDNEY D-AMINO ACID OXIDASE AND UPON MUSCLE SUCCINIC ACID DEHYDROGENASE

Abstract

Since enzymes are proteins, and may indeed constitute a major part of the protein in cells (Sumner and Somers, 1947) several relationships between them and the growth hormone are conceivable. As catalysts, tissue enzymes might be chemical mediators through which certain effects of the hormone are produced; as proteins, they may simply participate in any increase of body protein. In the case of bone phosphatase, marked changes in concentration which are readily correlated with known effects of the growth hormone on skeletal development are observed after hypophysectomy and after replacement therapy, and a functional relationship is indicated (Mathies and Gaebler, 1949). The concentrations of the two enzymes discussed in this paper do not change during induced growth, so there is no indication of a relationship to the growth hormone differing from that of other tissue proteins.