Zone Electrophoretic Studies of Proteins and Glycoproteins of Bovine Serum and Synovial Fluid

Abstract

Bovine serum and synovial fluid were studied in a Spinco model R electrophoresis apparatus using barbital buffer of ionic strength 0.075 at pH 8.6. Paper strips were dyed with amidoschwarz 10B dye and by a modification of the periodic acid-Schiff technique (McGuckin, W. F., McKenzie B. F., Clin. Chem. 1958 v4, 476), and analyzed in a Spinco model RA densitometer. Thirteen bovine sera yielded a mean concentration of 3.37 [plus or minus] 0.29 g (42%) albumin, 1.19[plus or minus] 10 g (15%) alpha globulin, 1.23 [plus or minus] 0.15 g (15%) beta globulin and 2.28 [plus or minus] 0.49 g (28%) gamma globulin/100 ml. Serum protein-bound hexose was 124 mg/100 ml or 1.53 [plus or minus] 0.12% of the mean serum protein of 8.08 g/100 ml. Zone electrophoretic separation showed albumin to contain 7 [plus or minus] 4%, alpha globulins 51 [plus or minus] 6%, beta globulins 23 [plus or minus] 4% and gamma globulins 20 [plus or minus] 5% of the protein-bound polysaccharide. Twenty-one synovial fluids had a mean concentration of 0.90[plus or minus] 0.27 g (50%) albumin, 0.24 [plus or minus] 0.08 g (14%) alpha globulins 0.29 [plus or minus] 0.10 g (16%) beta globulins and 0.37+ 0.11 g (21%) gamma globulin/100 ml. Synovial fluid protein-bound hexose was 36 [plus or minus] 11 mg/100 ml or 1.98 [plus or minus] 0.46% of the mean synovial fluid protein of 1.80 g/100 ml. Zone electrophoretic separation showed albumin to contain 10 [plus or minus] 5%, alpha globulins 49 [plus or minus] 8%, beta globulins 28 [plus or minus] 5%, and gamma globulins 14 [plus or minus] 4% of the protein-bound polysaccharide. The synovial fluid had relatively more albumin (50%) and relatively less gamma globulin (21%) than serum (albumin 42%, gamma globulin 28%) and a higher hexose/protein (PR) ratio indicating preferential permeability of albumin and one or more glycoproteins.