Makoto Matsushita

Determination of proteins by a reverse biuret method combined with the copper-bathocuproine chelate reaction

A method of protein determination has been developed which combines the biuret reaction and the copper(I)-bathocuproine chelate reaction. Protein in the specimen forms a Cu(2+)-protein chelate complex (biuret reaction) during the first step. Excess Cu2+ is reduced to Cu+ by ascrobic acid, allowing the Cu+ to form a Cu(+)-bathocuproine chelate complex during the second step. The amount of Cu(+)-bathocuproine chelate complex formed is inversely proportional to the protein concentration. The sensitivity (epsilon = 1.4 x 10(6) 1.mol-1.cm-1 against human albumin) of this method was higher than that of the original Lowry (9.8 x 10(5)), pyrogallol red (1.0 x 10(6)) and commercially available Coomassie Brilliant Blue G.250 methods (6.7 x 10(5)). The color intensities of human gamma-globulin, human globulin (fractions IV-1 and IV-4), bovine albumin, egg albumin and horse gamma-globulin against human albumin (100%) ranged from 92 to 101%. The results obtained with the present method (y) correlated well with those determined by the biuret method (r = 0.998, y = 0.98 chi - 0.002, x = 1.31, y = 1.29 g/l) in 30 diluted sera. These results confirm that this assay is similar in sensitivity to the original Lowry method, is rapid and has similar reactivity to each of the various proteins in biological fluids.

Changes in intestinal alkaline phosphatase isoforms in healthy subjects bearing the blood group secretor and non-secretor

We found the high molecular mass intestinal alkaline phosphatase (HIAP) and normal molecular mass intestinal alkaline phosphatase (NIAP) in serum at fasting and after fatty meal by use of 6.0% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) in the presence of 1% Triton X-100. HIAP only appeared in serum of Lewis blood group secretors ¿Le(a-b+)¿, and HIAP levels were dependent on ABO blood groups. Among the secretors, the highest activities of HIAP in fasting serum were observed in subjects with blood groups O and B (8.6+/-1.4 U/1; mean+/-SD) and the lowest activities were associated with blood group A (0.7+/-0.2 U/1; mean+/-SD), and the HIAP activities did not change after fatty meal. In contrast, NIAP was present in the serum of both secretors and non-secretors regardless of ABO blood group. Trace amounts of NIAP remained in fasting serum; however serum NIAP activities rose sharply after fatty meal. The remaining ratios of NIAP activity at fasting and 9 h after fatty meal of secretors were approximately the same as those of non-secretors. The electrophoretic mobility on PAGE or the apparent molecular mass estimated by gel filtration of serum NIAP in secretors was slightly different from that in non-secretors. In addition, HIAP can be normalized to NIAP on PAGE in the absence of Triton X-100, and the electrophoretic mobility of normalized-NIAP was identical to that of original NIAP in secretors. Accordingly, it can be concluded that the structure of serum NIAP in the secretor was different from that in the non-secretor, because HIAP is only formed by serum NIAP in the secretor. These results suggest that differences in serum NIAP in the secretor and the non-secretor may be closely related to the appearance of IAP in the circulation.

Specific gel electrophoresis method detects two isoforms of human intestinal alkaline phosphatase.

We have demonstrated that the 6.0% polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis (PAGE) method in the presence of 1% Triton X‐100 clearly separated both normal molecular mass intestinal alkaline phosphatase (NIAP) and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) in serum regardless of the AB0 blood group and the secretor status of the subjects. From the results under the usual 7.5% PAGE condition, overlapping mobilities of NIAP and BAP were found in particular in nonsecretor subjects after a high‐fat meal. Under the above conditions, the apparent BAP percentage three hours after a meal was higher in nonsecretors than in subjects under fasting conditions, because NIAP activity in serum rose sharply following a high‐fat meal. In contrast, under our 6.0% PAGE method, the NIAP and BAP were clearly separated from each other regardless of whether the subjects were fasting or had ingested a high‐fat meal. In addition, an elevated level of the circulating NIAP can be another marker for patients with liver cirrhosis. Considering all these factors, the 6.0% PAGE method proposed by us is not only a useful method for the separation of intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) isoforms, but can also be useful for the analysis of other usual AP isozymes.

The effect of different buffers and amounts of intestinal alkaline phosphatase isoforms on total alkaline phosphatase activity.

BACKGROUND The transphosphorylating accepter buffers (2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, AMP; N-methyl-D-glucamine, MEG; diethanolamine, DEA and 2-ethylaminoethanol, EAE) have been widely used for the measurement of serum total alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) in clinical laboratories, and the individual isozyme are activated differently by respective buffers. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined the activity of serum ALP using four buffers with levels of both high molecular weight intestinal alkaline phosphatase (HIAP) and normal molecular weight intestinal alkaline phosphatase (NIAP). We classified 80 healthy subjects into two groups of blood group B or O secretors (n=36) and other blood groups (n=44). RESULTS The mean ALP activities at fasting in blood group B or O secretors from AMP, MEG, DEA and EAE methods were 15.5%, 24.0%, 11.0% and 22.1% higher than those in other blood groups, respectively. The reference ranges of ALP activity at fasting with the AMP method in blood group B or O secretors and other blood groups were 63.5+/-17.4 U/l (mean+/-S.D.) and 55.0+/-14.5 U/l (mean+/-S.D.), respectively. The difference between the reference ranges of ALP activity in blood group B or O secretors and other blood groups was statistically significant (p<0.01). HIAP and NIAP in serum at fasting only appeared in blood group B or O secretors, and the activities of HIAP and NIAP were 4.7+/-3.4 U/l (mean+/-S.D.) and 2.2+/-1.2 U/l (mean+/-S.D.), respectively. The activity of ALP-(HIAP+NIAP) in blood group B or O secretors was 56.6+/-15.1 U/l (mean+/-S.D.), and this reference range was approximately the same as the ALP activity (55.0+/-14.5 U/l) of other blood groups. The same results were observed with MEG, DEA and EAE methods. CONCLUSIONS These results suggested that the differences in ALP activity in blood group B or O secretors and other blood groups were closely related to the HIAP and NIAP levels.

Evaluation of a method for measuring tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase activity in healthy subjects

Background: Intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) isozymes in the healthy human serum samples appears in two isoforms: normal-molecular-weight IAP (NIAP) and high-molecular-weight IAP (HIAP). We have demonstrated that the reference range for serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity is higher in blood group B and O antigen secretors than in the tested other blood groups, for the appearance of these isoforms is depended on blood group B or O antigen secretors. Methods: We assessed a diethanolamine-L-phenylalanine (DEA-Phe) method for measuring tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP). This assays the sum of liver alkaline phosphatase and bone alkaline phosphatase activities as determined by an inhibiting IAP activity method with Phe. We classified 420 healthy subjects into two groups, a group of subjects who had blood group B or O antigen secretors (n = 184) and a group of subjects who had other blood groups (n = 236). Results: ALP activity was higher in the B or O secretor group than in the other group: 20.9% higher (P<0.001) by the N-methyl-D-glucamine method, 13.7% higher (P<0.002) by 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol method, and 9.6% higher (P<0.05) by the diethanolamine method, but there was no significant difference in TNAP activity between the two blood group when measured by the DEA-Phe method. Conclusions: These results of this study support the expectation that the DEA-Phe method would be specific for TNAP activity. In addition, the reference range for TNAP activity did not vary with the differences in the tested all blood groups.