title: Retine revisited.
abstract: Retine, so named by Albert Szent-Györgyi, an inhibitor of the growth of transplanted malignant tumours in animals, is present in all mammalian tissues and in urine. Its inhibitory activity was extensively investigated by Szent-Györgyi, but its exact chemical identity was not determined. Details of the reported physical and chemical properties of retine and its ubiquitous occurrence identify it as being identical to a complex mixture of lipid 2,4-diketones of similar ubiquitous occurrence. This lipid mixture has been extensively studied, and individual members have been synthesized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, The Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec H3G 1A4, Canada. dedouglas@sympatico.ca
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Douglas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007659:Ketones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002614:Chelating Agents; D007659:Ketones; D014020:Tissue Extracts