696a - 696a: On the Biological Importance of Group Specific Substances

After a short review of the physical and chemical properties of group specific substances, and of their distribution throughout the body, the author briefly discusses some possible relationships with other biological properties (resistance to experimental infections, viral inhibitors, intrinsic factor, Bifidus factor, etc.).Then follow the results of a series of researches particularly performed with pure A and H group specific substances obtained from hog gastric mucosa, which have revealed the action stimulating body growth (in rats on diets containing different amounts of protein), the sparing effect on nitrogen metabolism (in cortisonized rats), the capacity to correct dysproteinemic and dyslipidemic alterations occurring after gastrectomy, the capacity to hasten hematologic recovery of rats made anemic with phenylhydrazine hydrocloride, the power of protection against alimentary hepatic steatosis, etc.The importance of these observations from a physiological point of view is discussed also in the light of other observations regarding the action of the same group specific substances on in vitro cultures of HeLa strain tumoral cells.