Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Role of Adenine Nucleotides and Growth Factors in Increased Proliferation following Damage to Cells

Nature volume 150, pages 349–350 (1942)Cite this article

Abstract

STIMULATION to tissue repair in wound healing has been attributed variously to polypeptides and amino-acids1, sulphhydryl compounds2, nucleoproteins3, fatty acids4, or certain nucleic acid derivatives5, and it has been proposed that the stimulating substances are secretions of leucocytes (“rephones” 1) or damaged-cell disintegration products (“wound hormones” 13). Since cell secretions or damaged-cell products influence normal cells through the intercellular milieu, a direct and quantitative approach to this problem is afforded by the comparison of intercellular fluids from damaged cells (I) and from normal cells (II), with regard to their chemical composition and effects on cell metabolism. Such comparisons have shown that (I) greatly exceeds (II) in stimulating cellular proliferation6,7 and respiration8,9 and in increasing capillary permeability10, and that when (I), but not (II), from animal tissue sources is injected repeatedly into animals, overgrowths result7.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Carrel, A., J. Exp. Med., 36, 385 (1923); J. Amer. Med. Assoc., 82, 255 (1924).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Hammett, F. S., Cold Spring Harbor Symposia Quant. Biol., 2, 78 (1934).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Fischer, A., NATURE, 144, 112 (1939).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bonner, J., and English, T., jun., Science, 86, 352 (1937).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Calkins, G. L., Bullock, F. D., and Rohdenberg, G. L., J. Infect. Dis., 10, 221 (1912).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Loofbourow, J. R., Dwyer, C. M., and Lane, M. M., Biochem. J., 34, 432 (1940); Loofbourow, J. R., Dwyer, C. M., and Cronin, A. G., Biochem. J., 35, 603 (1941); Loofbourow, J. R., Cook, E. S., and Stimson, M. M., NATURE, 142, 573 (1938); Davidson, J. N., Biochem. J., 34, 1537 (1940).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Menkin, V., Cancer Research, 1, 548 (1941); Loofbourow, J. R., Cueto, A. A., Whalen, D., and Lane, M. M., NATURE, 144, 939 (1939).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Fardon, J. C., Carrol, M. J., and Ruddy, M. V., Studies Inst. Divi Thomae, 1, 35 (1938).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Sizer, I. W., and Loofbourow, J. R., to be published.

  10. Menkin, V., J. Exp. Med., 67, 129 (1938); "Dynamics of Inflammation" (The Macmillan Company, N.Y., 1940).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Loofbourow, J. R., Biochem. J., in the press.

  12. One growth unit corresponds to an increased 24-hour yeast crop in Reader's medium of approximately 1,000 per cent ascompared with the controls, under the standard assay conditions employed, Loofbourow, J. R., Webb, A. M., Abramowitz, R. K., and Loofbourow, D. G., Biochem. J., in the press.

  13. Wiesner, J., "Elementarstruktur" (Vienna, 1892): Haberlandt, G., Sitz. preuss. Akad. Wiss., 221 (1921); Beitr. Allgem. Botan., 2, 1 (1921); Biol. Zentr., 2, 145 (1921).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Loofbourow, J. R., and Stimson, M. M., J. Chem, Soc., 844 (1940).

  15. The supplements were computed to afford an excess of each factor from data of Williams, R. J., Eakin, R. E., and Snell, E. E., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 62, 1204 (1940).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Cook, E. S., personal communication and Studies Inst. Divi Thomae, in publication.

  17. Webb, A. M., to be published.

  18. Loofbourow, J. R., Webb, A. M., and Abramowitz, R. K., NATURE, 149, 278 (1942).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Fleisehmann, W., Cold Spring Harbor Symposia Quant. Biol., 7, 290 (1939).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Reader, V., Biochem. J., 21, 901 (1927).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

    JOHN R. LOOFBOUROW

Authors
  1. JOHN R. LOOFBOUROW
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

LOOFBOUROW, J. Role of Adenine Nucleotides and Growth Factors in Increased Proliferation following Damage to Cells. Nature 150, 349–350 (1942). https://doi.org/10.1038/150349c0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/150349c0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing