RT Journal
T1 ENhanced penetration of mucous membranes
JF Journal of the American Medical Association
JO Journal of the American Medical Association
YR 1949
FD July 30
VO 140
IS 13
SP 1098
OP 1099
DO 10.1001/jama.1949.02900480028009
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1949.02900480028009
AB In 1928 Duran-Reynals1 of the Rockefeller Institute described the presence in testicular extract of a factor which facilitates the spread of vaccine virus in the skin of rabbits. Ten years later Chain and Duthie2 of Oxford University identified this "spreading factor" as a mucolytic enzyme (hyaluronidase), capable of depolymerizing and thus decreasing the viscosity of the intracellular mucin-like substance in rabbit skin. Hyaluronidase increased the interstitial spread of such diverse substances as india ink, rabies virus, methemoglobin, glucose and diphtheria toxin.Therapeutic failure of penicillin when applied to nasal mucous membranes is sometimes attributed to the inability of the antibiotic to penetrate mucous surfaces and thus reach deep-seated foci of infection. Som3 and his associates of New York's Mount Sinai Hospital therefore tested the possibility of enhancing the penetration of penicillin through mucous membranes by the use of hyaluronidase.Two groups of patients selected for these tests