Studies of citric acid metabolism in heart muscle

Abstract

1. The pentabromoacetone method for the determination of citric acid was studied; a modification of the procedure of Natelson, Lugovoy and Pincus was used.

2. Two tissue preparations were obtained. The first by washing with water, the second by washing with water and then with 0.5% sodium bicarbonate solution. In both suspensions citric acid is formed after adding boiled muscle extract, while added citrate is not utilized.

3. The formation of citric is increased when sodium bicarbonate is added to the suspension washed with water only. With the suspension washed with water and with sodium bicarbonate solution this effect is not observed; this seems to be due to the fact that in this suspension the elimination of the “citrogenase” pathway is achieved.