Kazuo Morimoto

Urokinase Inhibitor in Human Placenta

FIBRINOLYTIC activity in the blood markedly decreases in the later months of pregnancy and in labour, but rapidly returns to normal after delivery1–3. Brakman and Astrup4 observed a significant increase in the selective inhibition of fibrinolysis induced by urokinase in plasma and serum of pregnant women, and their findings suggested that an inhibitory mechanism was involved in depressing fibrinolysis during pregnancy. The same characteristics of fibrinolytic inhibition in saline extract of human placenta have been reported by one of us5, that is placental extract inhibited only urokinase but not streptokinase or glycerol-activated plasmin. Because the placental extract contained blood components, however, it was uncertain whether the inhibition was derived from pregnancy blood or from placenta itself.

Reduction of Aluminium Concentration in Albumin Products

The aluminium concentration in albumin products has been reduced to ≥100 ppb by an anion exchanger treatment. Furthermore, we have found that this low aluminium concentration in albumin products has been maintained for extensive periods of time, when they are stored in de‐alkalized soft glass containers.