As to the fate of cocaine in the living subject, many points are still considered not necessarily clear. The author attempted the reinvestigation relative to the toxicity and excretion of cocaine employing animals in embryonal stage, i.e. chick embryo, which are different in nature from those hitherto employed in the similar attempts.
The influence of cocaine on the general development of chick embryo was first investigated, and the histological investigation on the liver of the embryo were then performed. Furthermore, the pattern of the excretion of cocaine into the allantoic fluid and the hydrolysis of cocaine by liver extract were also investigated, thereby the author attempted to help clarification of the fate of cocaine in the living subject. The followings are the results thus obtained.
(1) The development of the chick embryo from eggs which received cocaine was, found inhibited when compared with that from the control eggs. Specifically, the inhibition was found eminent in proportion to the concentration of cocaine given.
(2) In the cases where 5 mg or 10 mg of cocaine was given, mulformations were recognized in the chick embryo, and in all cases where 20 mg of cocaine was given, the chick embryos were found dead.
(3) More favorable development was observed in the cases tested during the summer when compared with those tested during the winter.
(4) The histopathological changes in the liver of the chick embryo, which receivedd cocaine, became stronger in proportion to the concentration of cocaine. Such changes were found specifically stronger in the latter half of the incubation period compared with the first half.
(5) The excretion of cocaine into the allantoic fluid was found extremely minute, and the major part of cocaine is hydrolysed within the egg or the body of the chick embryo.
(6) Cocaine is hydrolysed by the liver extract of chick embryo, and the inactivation by the liver extract from the chick embryo, which received cocaine, was foundd stronger compared with that from the controls.
抄録全体を表示