Identification of oxidized serum albumin in the cerebrospinal fluid of ischaemic stroke patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Extensive evidence has shown that oxidative stress mediates neuronal death in animal models of hypoxic-ischaemia. Brain biomarkers of oxidative stress need to be identified in order to better understand and treat brain damage in human stroke patients. The present study was conducted to identify potential target proteins of oxidative stress in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of stroke patients with acute ischaemic brain injury. METHODS: We performed two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to separate protein samples obtained from the CSF of control and stroke patients. To determine protein oxidation levels, oxyblot was then used to detect protein carbonyls that were determined by formation of a stable 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNP) product using an anti-DNP antibody. RESULTS: We found that oxidation of serum albumin was increased in the CSF from stroke patients as well as rats who underwent permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (6.5%, 23%, respectively). In stroke patients, oxidized albumin levels correlated to neurologic indications. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that oxidized albumin in CSF can be utilized as an oxidative stress marker in human stroke patients.

Inhibition of phytoagglutinin potency of Korean vicia unijuga by human urine.

Human urines are often examined for individual identification in medicolegal field, therefore, authors attempted to classify the urines by inhibition of agglutination potency of phytoagglutinin Korean vicia unijuga which is known as a panphytoagglutinin to human red blood cells, and demonstrated that some individuals excrete urine which has ability to interfere with the agglutination potency of vicia extracts. The inhibiting substance appears to be either a protein or a glycoprotein, for it can be eliminated by boiling the urine sample. This substance is not present in human serum, semen and saliva. Presence or absence of the inhibiting substance in the urine has no relation to the individual's blood type and a sample urine spot test yielded a high rate of inhibitory property.

A "new" blood factor, C1, demonstrated with extracts of seeds of the Korean Clerodendron trichotomum Thunberg.

By absorbing extracts of seeds of the Korean Clerodendron trichotomum Thunberg with selected human group O red cells, a lectin has been prepared, which defines a hitherto undescribed specificity, designated C1, defining individual differences in human red cells. The specificity C1 appears to characterize a structure associated with the A-B-H-Le marcomolecule, both of red cells and of saliva, which is distinct from the combining groups for A,B,H and Le. Moreover, the reactivity of red cells with anti-C1 lectin is destroyed by treatment of the red cells with proteolytic enzymes, unlike the reactions for A,B,H and Le.