In the erythrocyte stroma from patients with hereditary spherocytosis, both Mg-ATPase (Na-K-insensitive ATPase) and Na-K-sensitive ATPase activities proved to be much higher than those found in the normal erythrocyte stroma. In cases with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, Mg-ATPase activity tended to be slightly decreased while Na-K-ATPase activity remained normal.
In agreement with the previous papers, a decrease in acetylcholinesterase activity of the erythrocyte stroma was demonstrated only in the cases of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

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A new method for the determination of urinary 17-Hydroxycorticosteroids (Porter-Silber chromogen) is described. The conjugated steroid in urine is hydrolyzed with bovine liver β-glucuronidase in acetate buffer (pH 5.0) containing a Na₂SO₄-NaHSO₃ mixture (300: 1), which not only interferes almost entirely with the formation of an electrostatic complex from the enzyme and its urinary endogenous high molecular inhibitors, but inactivates unknown low molecular inhibitors often present in alkaline or putrefying urine. The yield of urinary steroids obtained by hydrolysis in presence of the above mixture was 7±4.8 % (S. D.) higher than that in its absence.
The addition of Na₂SO₄ to urine (1 volume) is highly effective for the extraction of the steroids with methylene chloride (6 volume): THE and Allo-THF, two of the three major cortisol metabolites containing dihydroxyacetone side chain, which are relatively insoluble in the solvent, show 96±1.1, 95±1.1% (S. D.) recoveries in its presence respectively after one extraction only, while 63±1.9, 62±2.0 in its absence. In urine the addition of Na₂So₄ at the extraction step increased the yields by 7±3.9% (S. D.).
After hydrolysis with the enzyme the urine is saturated with NaHSO₃, followed by extraction with methylene chloride, where NaHSO₃ removes largely non-tetrahydro compounds of steroids and non-steroid impurities (eg. ketone compounds) interfering with the subsequent Porter-Silber reaction. As a result not only does this blank show two-thirds of that in the control, but the spectrum presents a symmetrical curve with an absorption peak at 410 mμ. For increasing specificity in a routine methods, the procedure based on a study by Allen is often followed, but in our presnt method it was considered unnecessary.
The extract is washed with N/2 Na₂CO₃, N/20 NaOH and N/10 H₂SO₄ respectively, all of which containing Na₂SO₄.
The Porter-Silber reagent was improved in composition(sulfuric acid+ethano1)12-14: the details are given in the foot note of the method.

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It was reported that glucose showed various effects on the acetate metabolism in sheep liver slices and these effects were changed by alloxan treatment. Presently a report was made of influences of glucose metabolites upon acetate metabolism in the liver slices of normal, starved and alloxan diabetic sheep.
The results obtained were as follows. In normal and starved sheep, the addition of phosphoenolpyruvate accelerated the formation of CO₂ and lipid fractions except NEFA, and inhibited the formation of glucose, ketone bodies and NEFA from acetate. In alloxan diabetic, the addition of phosphoenolpyruvate inhibited ketone bodies formation, but did not influence the formation of any other fractions from acetate. These effects of phosphoenolpyruvate were almost the same as in previous studies with glucose effects on the acetate metabolism. Furthermore, pyruvate and lactate did not affect the formation of CO₂, glucose, ketone bodies nor lipids from acetate in the iiver slices of normal, starved and alloxan diabetic animais.
From these results and those previously obtained it may be deduced that there was some relationship between the acetate metabolism and the glucose-phosphoenolpyruvate system, while pyruvate and lactate did not affect the acetate metabolism in sheep liver slices. It may be also suggested that insulin had some role in the action of the glucose-phospho-enolpyruvate system on the formation of CO₂, glucose and lipids, but not the formation of Ketone bodies from acetate.

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4'-Hydrazino-2-stilbazole (4 H 2 S) had been discovered as a selective and sensitive fluorescence reagent for α-keto acids in biological materials. Method of fluorometric determination2) and paperelectrophoretic detection3) of α-keto acids with 4H2S had also been developed.
We reinvestigated the conditions of paper electrophoretic detection of urinary α-keto acids and improved the procedure as follows: A piece of Toyo filter paper,(No.51A 0.2 ×13cm) spotted with 10-20 μl of urine is placed at 10cm position from cathode on the same paper (35×13cm), is electropl9oresed in a phosphate buffer (pH 6.7, μ=0.16) at 400 volt constat potential for 1.5hr. After drying sufficiently, the paper is sprayecd with 0.01% solution of 4 H 2 S in formate buffer (1 M, pH 3), allowed to stand for 5 minute to form hydrazone and sprayed with 5 N HC1. Under a low prsssure mercury lamp equipped with Toshiba V-V44 filter, the yellowish fluorescent spot of α-keto acid is detected on the dark blue background.
As shown in Table 1, separation of the α-keto acids was fairly good, although KIV, KIC and KMV could not be separated.
The present method was applied to urinary specimens which were positive to 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine test (see Table II).

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