Abstract
Stated in the following are the findings of general pharmacological activities of β-mercapto-ethylamine·HCl (MET), S, β-aminoethylisothiuronium. Br·HBr (AET), reduced glutathione (GSH) and l-cysteine (CySH) .
On subcutaneous injection, the LD50 of MEA was found to be 274.47 mg/kg. and that of AET was 647.9 mg/kg, the former showing higher toxicity than the latter. The toxicity of MEA and AET was evidently higher than that of GSH and CySH.
MEA, CySH and GSH cause the elevation of the blood pressure and the dilatation of the coronary vessel of rabbit, while AET shows no such effects.
MEA and AET show similar pharmacological activities, namely, temporary inhibition of the respiration and the heart pulse in situ of rabbit by an intravenous injection in a dose of 5-10 mg/ kg, and the enhancement of the motility of isolated intestine. They show the contraction of the ear vessel of rabbit and, when a large dose was administered, they enhance the contraction of the isolated heart of toad.
Pharmacological activities of CySH and GSH are mostly the same. Namely, they elevate the blood pressure, accelerate respiration and dilate the coronary vessel of rabbit. In a lower concentration, they cause the contraction of the ear vessel, while they cause its dilatation when the concentration is high. They, moreover, show remarkable inhibition of the motility of isolated intestine in a concentration of 10-3 though such influence is absent in a concentration of 10-4.
