Physiologic Properties of Anserine and Carnosine

¹ From the Department of Physiology, State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

Studies were made of physiologic responses to anserine and carnosine, isolated and synthetic, as measured by changes in diastolic, pulse and systolic blood pressure and peripheral blood flow in the cat and dog, and by oxytocic effects on smooth muscle of guinea pig and rabbit. Both dl-anserine and l-carnosine exhibited a feeble depressor action on blood pressure and a weak oxytocic activity. The wide variations in the activity of these peptides from various natural and synthetic sources is attributed to contamination with traces of other physiologically-active substances with a histamine-like action. The activity is dependent upon peptide linkage and not exhibited by the free amino acid components.