Physiologically active factors from corpora cardiaca of Periplaneta americana

• Published in: Journal of insect physiology Vol. 16; no. 9; pp. 1827 - 1836
• Main Authors: Migliori Natalizi, G., Pansa, M.C., d'Ajello, V., Casaglia, O., Bettini, S., Frontali, N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.01.1970
• Subjects: arthropods; entomology
• ISSN: 0022-1910; 1879-1611
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-1910(70)90279-9

By combining gel filtration on Sephadex G-15 and G-10 and ion exchange chromatography on Cellex CM, 6 different peaks of physiological activity were separated from aqueous extracts of Periplaneta americana corpora cardiaca. The following physiological activities were assayed on the fractions; heart accelerating (HA), hyperglycaemic (HG), and increasing the frequency of the spontaneous firing recorded from nerves leaving the 6th abdominal ganglion (SFI). The 6 peaks had the following activities; (1) HA and SFI (2) HA, SFI and HG (3) HG and SFI (4) SFI (5) HA and (6) HA. Each was inactivated by treatment with trypsin. Analogies with physiologically active factors separated by other authors from similar tissue extracts are discussed, e.g. the possible identity of the active material present in peak 1 with neurohormone D of Unger and with factor P 1 of Brown. None of the peaks of activity corresponds to the elution characteristics of a pure sample of 5-hydroxy-tryptamine.