242 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS and layer lattices, like montmorillonite. m The twisting or stretching of C-C double bonds due to steric hindrance increases the activity of tl•e bound atoms. TM Cold-working of long chain ethers and ketones increased their dielectric loss, probably by causing dislocations in the crystal lattice. "• Under extremely high pressures, 50,000 to 120,000 atmospheres, an electronic isomerisation is believed to occur, pushing electrons from higher orbitals into untilled higher-energy lower orbitals, and under still higher pressures the atoms are postulated to exist in a "universal metallic state. "•4 The complex formation of over 100 systems in various solvents was followed in order to characterise H-bonding behaviour of alcohols and ketones. •5 A new type of H-bond, reported to exist between the single hydrogen and three of the four carbonyls of cobalt carbonyl hydride, may throw new light on catalysis mechanisms. TM The new technique of nuclear magnetic resonance promises to yield information on fine details of molecular activity which should assist in clearing up many structure-activity problems. • a7 PERMEABILITY The factors governing the permeability of the skin and of cell membranes received considerable study. Hydration of the horny layer of the skin was found to inhibit sweating on palms and soles.•8 Injection of the antidiuretic horrnone pitressin reduced water loss both in normal and in hyperkeratotic skin. TM In a new method for determining water loss through skin, dry air was passed through a vessel affixed to the skin, and the moisture in the emerging air was determined gravimetrically. •4ø By this method, it was found that the water permeability of films ot fatty acids or of their trigly- cerides decreases significantly with increasing chain length. TM In isolated frog skin, sodium influx followed a pattern similar to a Langmuir adsorption isotherm and an equation was derived fitting the data, on the assumption that influx occurs chiefly by means of a sodium complex. TM A study of structural features influencing amino acid transfer into cells led to the conclusion that chelation and Shift base formation are involved in the transfer. TM The specific sites responsible for concentrating amino acids in the cell were regarded as catalytic ones in a membrane rather than stoichiometric ones inside the cell. TM A cycle of permeability changes was shown to follow the penetration of T 2 virus into E. coli cells. TM PROTEIN BINDING In the binding of small molecules to proteins, hydroxylation was found to play an important role in determining whether a protein-bound metal ion can interact further with a small molecule. TM In hemerythrin, an oxygen-carrying pigment devoid of porphyrin, the larger portion of the iron

SOME NEW KEYS TO COSMETIC CHEMISTRY•1956 243 appeared to be attached directly to the protein through its SH groups. m When 1,2,5,6,-dibenzanthracene-9,10-C 1• was applied to mouse skin, at least part of the phenanthrene-dicarboxylic acid formed was bound to the protein of the skin through the diamide or the monoamide of the acid. •48 Azo compounds with a carboxyl group rigidly held 12 to 14 angstroms from a dimethylamino group were bound to human serum albumin by both these groups, the dimethyl amino group binding to a tyrosine hydroxyl and the carboxyl binding to a nearby cationic site on. the albumin when the terminal groups of the dye were less than 10 or more than 14 angstroms apart, only one bond could be formed, usually by the dye carboxyl. TM The free energy of binding of crystal violet by bovine serum albumin was calculated to be 8.1 kcal for the first dye molecule. •5ø The heat of formation of a peptide tt bond was calculated as-1.5 kcal. •5• ANTIBODIES AND ALLERGY New studies have at least begun to penetrate the thick maze of immuno- logy and allergy. Kinetic studies indicated that one or more carboxyl groups are involved in the antigert-antibody bond, 1•2 and the same conclusion was supported by the demonstration that acetylation of anti-bovine serum albumin antibody destroyed nearly all of its activity. 1•" In six different antigert-antibody systems evidence was obtained that free amino groups are critically involved in antibody action •'4 ih one system the behaviour pointed to a group with p K of about 9-8, close to that of the epsilon-NH 2 of lysine. 1•, In inflammation, which is a manifestation of severe cellular injury, the exudative liquid contains a factor called,leucotaxine, which appeared to be a polypeptide to which an unknown prosthetic group may be attached leucotaxine raises capillary permeability and attracts potymorphonuclear leucocytes. 1'6 Cortisone and similar compounds were found not to inhibit the production. of substances which propagate inflammation, but to inhibit tissue reactivity to such substances. TM Tracer studies showed that entire molecules of protein. antigert (not just the haptens) penetrate into the cells and concentrate in the cytoplasmic granules.l*• In eczematous sensitisation, the sensitising agent is believed to form a conjugate with a protein of the body, probably of the epidermis, which causes an alteration in e.nzymes of cells of the lymphoreticular system, so that when the sensitising agent again is encountered an eczematous reaction develops. 1•9 PIGMENTATION Synthesis of melanin in tissue cultures of chick embryo skin appeared to be inhibited by addition of phenylalanine the inhibition was reversed by addition of tyrosine to the cult•ure medium. TM Compounds such as