Effects of injury on the concentration of alpha1-macroglobulin and alpha2-macroglobulin in the plasmas of male and remale rats.

The effects of injury on the concentration of alpha1-macroglobulin and alpha2-macroglobulin in the plasmas of male and remale rats has been investigates. At 5 days after injury to the male rats the alpha1-macroglobulin concentration increased to 131% of its preinjury value. The alpha2-macroglobulin concentration increased more rapidly to a maximum of 86 times its initial value. In the female rats alpha2-macroglobulin increased only slightly and alpha1-macroglobulin not at all.     

Specific reaction of aloe extract with serum proteins of various animals.

We found that aloe extract contains a lectin-like substance which reacts with serum proteins of various animals. Furthermore, in human serum 2 proteins, alpha2-macroglobulin and alpha1-antitrypsin, were shown to be reactive with aloe extract.     

Effects of injury on the concentration ofα 1 andα 2 in the plasmas of male and female rats

Summary The effects of injury on the concentration of ₁-macroglobulin and ₂-macroglobulin in the plasmas of male and female rats has been investigated. At 5 days after injury to the male rats the ₁-macroglobulin concentration increased to 131% of its preinjury value. The ₂-macroglobulin concentration increased more rapidly to a maximum of 86 times its initial value. In the female rats ₂-macroglobulin increased only slightly and ₁-macroglobulin not at all.     

Prediction of glycan structures of human N-glycoproteins]

By adding the sequence beta-(1 leads to 4)-GlcNAc-beta-(1 leads to)-Asn or alpha Fuc-(1 leads to 6 or 3)-beta-(1 leads to 4)-GlcNAc-beta-(1 leads to)-Asn to the oligosaccharides isolated from human urines of mannosidosis, fucosidosis and sialidosis, we are able to reconstitute numerous structures of asparaginyl-glycans. We postulate i) that these structures which have not yet been characterized pre-exist in glycans of human glycoproteins, probably in the cytoplasm or/and the cell membrane; ii) that they are products of the action of endo-beta-N-acetyl-glucosaminidases which are protected because of the lack of exoglycosidases and accumulate in the cells, and then in the urine.     

Induction of proteolytic activity in serum by treatment with anionic detergents and organic solvents

Using casein plates as a sensitive assay for proteolytic activity, it was observed that sodium-dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and other anionic detergents induce caseinolysis when mixed with sera and plasma. Caseinolysis was dependent on the presence of plasminogen in the fluids and could be blocked by inhibitors of serine proteases and antibody to plasminogen. Similarly, organic solvents such as isopropanol induced caseinolysis after mixing with plasma, but not normal serum. Isopropanol dissociated complexes of alpha 1-antitrypsin or alpha 2-macroglobulin with trypsin preformed in vitro. As both SDS and organic solvents are widely used in biochemical investigations of biological fluids, attention should be paid to the possible induction of proteolysis.     

Etude immuno-électrophorétique de l'uromucoïde

Summary Concentrated normal urines were investigated by an immuno-electrophoretic technique using specific antiserum directed against uromucoid (=Tamm andHorsfall's urinary mucoprotein).A single precipitation line was observed, which, however, presented two distinct maxima. The faster antigen appeared to be situated between albumin and ₁-globulin, while the slower antigen seemed to be ana ₂-globulin. Both antigens were immunologically identical with uromucoid, although the latter had been eliminated by salt precipitation from the urines used in this experiment.The above findings can best be explained by assuming the occurrence of a polymer series of uromucoid, of which the lower members would be soluble in 0.58M NaCl, while the higher terms would representTamm andHorsfall's mucoproteinsensu stricto. It is suggested that cylindroids and nubecula represent visible forms of uromucoid.     

Estimation of decamethonium in biological fluids

Résumé Les auteurs ont modifié la méthode de dosage de sels de méthonium, proposée dans leur travail précédent, pour rendre possible son application à la recherche du C₁₀ dans les sérums et les urines.Cette méthode est rigoureusement spécifique pour la détermination du décaméthonium dans le sérum entre 100 e 500/ml mais moins spécifique pour les urines.     

Heparin inhibition of the antithrombin activity of alpha-2-macroglobulin]

The interaction between thrombin and alpha-2-macroglobulin was studied on human purified materials, either in the presence or in the absence of heparin, by kinetic analysis of thrombin inhibition and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In the absence of heparin, binding of thrombin to alpha-2-macroglobulin, shown by electrophoresis, leads to the loss of the coagulant property of the enzyme. In the presence of heparin the rate of inhibition of thrombin clotting activity by alpha-2-macroglobulin is strongly decreased. Heparin binds to thrombin, impairing the formation of thrombin-alpha-2-macroglobulin complex. These data show that heparin paradoxically protects thrombin from inhibition by alpha-2-macroglobulin whereas it increases the enzyme inhibition by antithrombin III. Such a phenomenon could be of practical interest for treatment of thrombosis in patients with high plasma level of alpha-2-macroglobulin and low level of antithrombin III, such as occurs in the nephrotic syndrome.     

Evidence of urinary glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antigens excretion in 3 rodents (rat, mouse, and guinea-pig) (author's transl)]

Immunodiffusion technique, with rabbits antibodies against rat glomerular basement membrane (GBM), permits to evidence the presence of GBM antigens into normal urines of 3 rodents (rat, mouse, and guinea-pig). These results confirm the earlier works in human and rabbit urines and show the antigenic communauty existing between the 3 rodents GBM, since we can evidence antigens of 3 different mammals with the same antibody. The origin and the nature of this patterns and the signification of this presence into mammalian urines are discussed.     

Galactose transfer and UDP-Galactose hydrolysis in urine from normal balb/c and Balb/c YC8 mice

Summary By chromatographic method we have shown the existence of a complex system for galactose transfer from UDP-galactose and for nucleotide hydrolysis in urines from Balb/c YC8 and normal Balb/c mice. By action of sera from normal and ascitic mice as source of enzyme, we have been able to detect transfer for galactose in urines from ascitic mice and an important inhibitory effect of the nucleotide sugar hydrolysis by the sera with urines from normal mice.     

Substance P-induced fibrinolysis in the forearm of healthy humans

Physiological saline with or without substance P (50 ng/ml) was infused into the humeral artery in 6 healthy males. Indices of fibrinolytic activity (whole blood diluted lysis time, euglobulin lysis time, lysis areas in non-heated fibrin plates produced by plasma or euglobulin precipitate, plasminogen plasma levels, ₂-macroglobulin, Cl-inhibitor, and ₂-antiplasmin) were evaluated in the homolateral antecubital vein before and after 5 min of substance P or saline infusion. After substance P the fibrinolytic activity increased, as can be seen from the shortening of lysis times (p<0.01) and enlargement of the lysis areas (p<0.01). A reduction of plasminogen plasma levels (p<0.01), associated with a decrease in ₂-anitplasmin (p<0.01), was also found. Alpha₂-macroglobulin and Cl-inhibitor were instead unaltered by the peptide. The saline infusion, on the other hand, was unable to modify any of the examined indices. We concluded that exogenous substance P given intra-arterially increases fibrinolytic activity in locally-sampled venous blood through a mechanism which remains to be elucidated.     

Demonstration of N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase activity in the murine lymphoma YC8]

The N-acetyl-galactosaminyltransferase activity has been studied in the biological fluids of YC8-lymphoma bearing Balb/c mice. It is enhanced during tumor development from 1 to 30 times in peritoneal fluids and from 1 to 10 times in sera. This activity is nil in urines. Optimal requirements for activity have been determined. Results suggest the existence, during tumor process not only of an enhancement of enzymatic activity, but also of a new molecule synthesis, molecules which are endogenous acceptors for the enzyme.     

Laminins during muscle development and in muscular dystrophies

Cellular interactions with the extracellular matrix during muscle formation and in muscular dystrophy have received increased interest during the past years. Laminins constitute a growing family of proteins with complex expression patterns in forming basement membranes during muscle development. In skeletal muscle, laminins constitute major ligands for cell surface receptors involved in the transmission of force from the cell interior, but laminins might also influence signal transmission events during muscle formation and in muscle regeneration. During myogenesis the laminin alpha1 chain is present around the epithelial somite; but later, in forming muscle, the laminin alpha1 chain is restricted to the myotendinous junction. The laminin alpha2, alpha4 and alpha5 chains are major laminin chains in the muscle basement membrane during muscle formation, but laminin alpha4 and alpha5 chains are absent in adult muscle. The importance of laminins for muscle integrity is manifested in congenital muscular dystrophies with defects in the laminin alpha2 chain. There is no good evidence for the presence of laminin alpha1 chain in dystrophic muscle, but some other fetal muscle laminins can be detected in dystrophic muscle. Characterization of laminin expression patterns in muscular dystrophies might be of diagnostic and therapeutic value. In this paper, we review the recent publications on the biological functions of muscle laminins and discuss their roles in skeletal muscle.     

Affinity chromatography of human serum proteins using matrix bound lectin fromViscum album L.

Summary The D-galactose specific lectin fromViscum album L. reacts with serum proteins that contain the corresponding D-galactopyranosyl residues. By affinity chromatography of human serum on lectin-sepharose IgM, ₂-macroglobulin, haptoglobin and -lipoprotein were quantitatively retained. Only parts of IgA, IgG and transferrin were retarded. The other serum proteins are unbounded as albumin, ₁A– and ₁C.     

Mise en évidence de l'excrétion urinaire d'antigènes de la membrane basale glomerulaire (MBG) dans l'urine de 3 rongeurs (rat,souris et cobaye)

Summary Immunodiffusion technique, with rabbits antibodies against rat glomerular basement membrane (GBM), permits to evidence the presence of GBM antigens into normal urines of 3 rodents (rat, mouse and guinea-pig). These results confirm the earlier works in human and rabbit urines and show the antigenic communauty existing between the 3 rodents GBM, since we can evidence antigens of 3 different mammals with the same antibody. The origin and the nature of this patterns and the signification of this presence into mammalian urines are discussed.

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Nous remercions sincèrement le Docteur Mahieu (Laboratoire de Clinique et Séméiologie Médicales, Institut de Médecine de l'Hôpital Universitaire de Bavière à Liège, Belgique) de l'aide précieuse qu'il a bien voulu nous accorder.     

Receptor-mediated transport and deposition of complement component C3 into developing chicken oocytes

Immunological resistance of the chick embryo is dependent upon IgG present in the yolk of the layed egg. Here we show that complement factor 3 (C3), a key component of the humoral complement system, is a yolk component of chicken eggs. C3 is transported into oocytes by LR8-mediated endocytosis. LR8 also binds and transports other major yolk components such as vitellogenin, very-low-density lipoprotein, and α₂-macroglobulin. Expression studies of LR8 during chicken development and oocyte maturation, in combination with studies on the uptake of individual yolk components, suggest the following model for oocyte maturation in the chicken: all oocytes present in the ovary contain high levels of LR8 mRNA and protein long before the onset of oocyte maturation. Selected oocytes gain access to yolk precursors, and LR8 binds, internalizes, and deposits the major yolk components in the ratio of their relative abundance in the accessible pool.Received 9 May 2005; received after revision 6 June 2005; accepted 13 June 2005     

Description of an unusual enzymic activity cleaving the third component of complement]

A large enzymatic complex cleaving C3 (C3'ase) in the absence of magnesium (EDTA) has been partially characterized in two patients. On gel filtration EDTA-C3'ase was found in an 800 000 fraction containing antigenic C4, IgA and IgG in addition to alpha-2-macroglobulin and IgM normally present. EDTA-C3'ase was specifically neutralized by antibodies to IgG, IgA and C4. The characteristics of this unusual enzymatic complex are compatible with that of a C4b2a complex stabilized by its specific binding to an auto-antibody of the IgG and/or IgA class.     

ACTH response induced by interleukin-1 is mediated by CRF secretion stimulated by hypothalamic PGE

We investigated whether hypothalamic prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) are responsible for the development of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) response induced by interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha). The present results show that ACTH responses induced by intravenous injection of IL-1 alpha were suppressed by systemic pretreatment with indomethacin and that intrahypothalamic injection of PGE2 stimulates the secretion of ACTH. Furthermore, systemic pretreatment with anti-CRF antibody significantly suppressed the ACTH response induced by intrahypothalamic injection of PGE2. These data suggest that the ACTH response induced by IL-1 is mediated by CRF secretion stimulated by hypothalamic PGE2.     

Toxicokinetic study of vanadium after intramuscular and intratracheal administration to rats]

The toxicokinetic study, made in the rat with 48V under VOCl2, shows that vanadium does not accumulate in the system. 66% of the radioactivity is found in urines 24 hrs. after the inoculation by intramuscular method. After intratracheal deposit, a part of the vanadium is eliminated very rapidly. The other which is lower is fixed on the pulmonary tissues.