Evening star., 1949-08-03
Radioactive Iodine Found
Aid in Heart Treatments
Harvard Scientists Discovery Tested
On 19 Patients
By Thomas r. Henry

By Thomas R. Henry
Radioactive iodine is giving unexpected
relief from the agony of angina pectoris
and congestive heart failure.
This is development Of Harvard Medical
School scientists just reported by the Atomic
Energy Commission, which supplies the
exploding atoms used in the treatment
The principal concentration of iodine in
the human body is in the thyroid gland.
At first it was hoped that the radioactive
isotope of this element would be Of value
in the treatment of thyroid cancer. This
expectation has not been fulfilled entirely
but the material has proved of considerable
value in cases of hyper-active thyroids which
have no cancerous tissue.
Treatment Developed.
The heart treatment developed from work
on thyroid suppression Previous studies
had showed that lesssening of thyroid activ-
ity would so diminish the body's demands on
the heart as to reduce markedly the choking
sensations and pain 'of angina pectoris and
the shortness of breath and dropsy of con-
gestive heart failure.
Up to the present the treatment has been
tried on 10 patients. In five of nine suffer-
ing from angina pectoriS the pain was
strikingly lessened or abolished and several
have been able to go back to work. In four
failure shortness of breath has been alle-
waited and ability to work increased.
The method has proved successful with
patients who have not responded to any
other thyroid treatment.
major step toward the creation OF
living matter-the first synthesis of proteins
is reported by the Atomic Energy Com
mission.
Proteins are the building stones of the
body Chemically they are very complex
substances, all of which contain nitrogen
and sulphur. The method of their forma-
ton long has been hidden. 1t has been
observed only in the bodies of living ami
mails and plants
California Institute of Technology scien-
fists now have been able to duplicate the
process on a very simple scale, IN test
tubes.
All proteins are built up of smpler-but
still quite compleX-chemical substances
These are the amino acids. Approximately
IL of these are essential in human diet.
Others are manufactured inside the body.
Essential Amino Acids.
Among the essential amino acids are gly-
cine leucine and lysine. The California
Tech scientists were able to make up sam
Piles Of these substances containing atoms
of radioactive carbon. These were then
placed in a test tube containing rabbit
bone marrow cells and guinea pig liver.
These took up the amino acids and pro-
ceeded with protein manufacture accord
ing to the same processes which go on in
the body of the living animal. But the
new molecules were now labeled in three
places. The scientists could detect just
where the three acids were located in the
synthetic proteins
Analysing the process further. they found
that the different components of the cell.
the nucleus and the organized molecules
in the cell outside the nucleus, participate
in protein production in different ways.
One set of molecules behaves like an en-
CINE Another set of molecules constitutes
engine.
Leads to Discovery.
These researches have also led to the
discovery of what appears to be one OF the
most basic of all life substances. 1t is a
highly complex mixture of nearly all the
amino acids which is present in the liver OF
all animals 1t is major product of the di-
gestion of animal protein foods and appar-
emily acts as a StorehouSe from which
necessary building materials are drawn as
needed.
They also have discovered q hitherto
unknown amino acid, amimoadipic acid.
1t is product of the breakdown of lysine
in the digestive process and apparently is
one of the basic steps in the life process.
Essential food elements are fats. They
are formed in the liver. Scientists at the
Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake
Forest College are making considerable
progress, the commission reports, in study
ing the synthesis of fats and fat-lke SUBJ
stances through the use of radioactive
phosphorus.