STUDIES ON STREPTOCOCCAL HYALURONIDASE AND ANTIHYALURONIDASE I

Abstract
Using 2 ammonium sulfate precipitations followed by 2 ethanolic fractionations at -20[degree] C, a partially purified, stable preparation of streptococcal hyaluronidase was prepared in lyophilized form from the culture medium of streptococcus group C strain 7. This dried preparation had a potency of 274 turbidity reducing units per mg of N. When given intravenously in rabbits this preparation of hyaluronidase was found to be highly antigenic. Doses as high as 2.50 mg were given 4 times weekly and the rabbits rested 3 days before resumption of injections. At the end of 8 weeks a total dosage of 80 mg had no toxic effects but produced in rabbit sera an antihyaluronidase titer of 128. This antibody titer declines slowly upon cessation of injections but was still detectable after 4 months. Upon resumption of single weekly doses of 2 mg the titer increased in 6 weeks to 2048. The data presented indicate that hyaluronidase from group C, strain 7 streptococcus is capable of producing in the globulin fraction of the sera of rabbits antibody capable of completely inhibiting the action of the enzyme in vitro.

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