Serum concentration of human alpha 2 HS glycoprotein during the inflammatory process: evidence that alpha 2 HS glycoprotein is a negative acute-phase reactant.

A nonspecific opsonin function has been ascribed to human alpha 2 HS glycoprotein. Its serum level has been shown to be decreased in trauma patients. Recent studies from this laboratory revealed a heterogeneity among the products obtained in the course of the preparation of the protein. To date, no definitive agreement existed with regard to a molecular homogeneous entity of alpha 2 HS glycoprotein (Ba-alpha 2 glycoproteins). The purpose of the current work was to study the variations in serum level of alpha 2 HS in patients suffering from an acute inflammatory process of bacterial etiology and to determine whether a decrease in alpha 2 HS was accompanied by the appearance of fragments of this protein in the serum. A method of preparing alpha 2 HS was thus developed, using an immune absorbent as a final purification step. In an intermediary step of the preparation, alpha 2 HS was found to bind zinc when metal chelate affinity chromatography was employed. Immunologically and physico-chemically pure alpha 2 HS was obtained. The protein consists of a unique polypeptide chain of about 50,000 daltons and has a unique amino-terminal residue, alanine. However, the protein maintained its molecular integrity with difficulty, and spontaneous fragments ranging from 30,000 to less than 10,000 daltons were produced in some of the preparations. No major modification in the molecular structure of the protein was noted in the sera of subjects suffering from an acute inflammatory process. Serum level of alpha 2 HS and alpha 1 antitrypsin (AT)was determined in 23 patients. When the acute-phase (AP-)reactant alpha 1 AT was increased (difference with normal mean greater than +2 or +3 SD), the sera showed a large decrease in alpha 2 HS (difference with normal mean less than -2 or -3 SD). The serum level of alpha 2 HS, albumin, alpha 2 macroglobulin, and of positive AP-reactants, orosomucoidinal study of seven patients. The results were submitted to a principal components analysis. Alpha 2 HS showed a negative correlation with the AP-reactants alpha 1 AT, orosomucoid, and haptoglobin (P less than 0.05) and a positive correlation with albumin (P less than 0.05); these findings indicate that alpha 2 HS is a negative AP-reactant. In addition, analysis of the principal components confirms thestrong analogy between alpha 2 HS and albumin and indicates that serum level behavior of the AP-reactants during the course of the disease closely depends on the protein studied.

Tryptic and elastolytic inhibitory capacities of serum from various Pi phenotypes.

Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency is responsible for emphysema in adults. The genetic polymorphism of this protein (Pi system) is used to detect these deficiencies. The relationship between the serum protease inhibitory capacities and M, MZ and Z Pi phenotypes was investigated. 120 sera including 31 M, 33 MZ and 56 Z were studied. The alpha-1-antitrypsin concentration varied according to the Pi phenotype, the sex and the health of the subject. The alpha-2-macroglobulin level did not depend on the Pi phenotype. The trypsin inhibitory capacity fluctuated with the age and the health of the subject, but did not faithfully represent the Pi phenotype. In contrast, the elastase inhibitory capacity depended only on the Pi phenotype. The relationship between alpha-1-antitrypsin levels and the serum elastase inhibitory capacities was linear. Canonical analysis was employed to determine the relative contributions of each antiprotease to the two inhibitory capacities. It appeared that the elastase inhibitory capacity was influenced more by the alpha-1-antitrypsin level while the trypsin inhibitory capacity was more sensitive to alpha-2-macroglobulin.

"Tryptic-like" activity in sera of patients with pancreatitis.

Serum trypsin esterolytic activity was measured in 106 sera from 61 controls and 45 patients with pancreatitis. A trypsin specific synthetic substrate, N-alpha-benzoyl-L-arginine-paranitroanilide, was used. High levels of enzymatically active trypsin were shown to be present in serum of patients with pancreatitis. No difference between the two samples was noticed for the serum concentrations of alpha-1-antitrypsin and alpha-2-macroglobulin (the two main serum trypsin inhibitors). Active trypsin was contained in the high molecular weight fraction of plasma proteins, corresponding to a complex with alpha-2-macroglobulin. The determination of serum typsin activity as a sensitive test for detection of pancreatitis was demonstrated to be statistically significant.

Avoidance learning and mechanism of the protective effect of apomorphine against hypoxia.

We have analyzed a conditioned avoidance response (CAR) in rats, under both normoxia and hypobaric hypoxia (300 torr), to try to elucidate the mechanism of apomorphine's protective effect against hypoxia. The resistance to hypoxia is markedly increased by apomorphine (1 mg/kg i.p.) and, to a lesser degree, by an alpha-adrenergic pre-synaptic (yohimbine 1 mg/kg i.p.) or post-synaptic (phenoxybenzamine 1 mg/kg i.p.) blocker. The anti-hypoxic property of apomorphine is not altered when associated with domperidone (0.5 mg/kg i.p.), a peripheral blocker of the dopaminergic receptors. Resistance to hypoxia is decreased by propranolol (1 mg/kg i.p.) and pimozide (1 mg/kg i.p.). It is not modified by tylciprine (2 mg/kg i.p.) or by metergoline (2.5 mg/kg i.p.), a blocker of the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5 H T) receptors. However, the association of any of the above pharmacological agents with apomorphine destroys apomorphine's anti-hypoxic effect. There has even been shown a positive potentialisation ( i.e. an increase of the inhibitory effect) between apomorphine, hypoxia, and the added drug. This potentialisation is already noticeable under normoxia for the association of each of the drugs with apomorphine. Free alpha, beta adrenergic, cerebral dopaminergic, and serotoninergic receptors and an intact amine metabolic pathway therefore seem required for apomorphine to develop its anti-hypoxic activity.