The occurrence of pyruvic acid and methylglyoxal in muscle metabolism

Abstract

THAT the metabolic changes which occur in muscle are of profound complexity is evident. This work was undertaken with the object of studying some of the intermediary mechanisms of muscle carbohydrate metabolism by means of the use of reagents which would remove from the system some product which is only transitorily formed normally. The method is essentially the same as that employed by Neuberg in his study of the mechanisms involved in alcoholic fermentation. The fixative of which we have availed ourselves, namely sodium sulphite, is the same as that used by Neuberg in what constitutes his second form of fermentation, in which acetaldehyde is "fixed" as the bisulphite compound. It is well known that substances of an aldehydic or ketonic nature possess the property of forming addition compounds with sodium bisulphite. The conditions that determine the stability or otherwise of these compounds to further metabolic change have not, however, been worked out. In the conditions under which we have worked, pyruvic acid and methylglyoxal will form with bisulphite compounds that are relatively stable in this regard.