CHEMICAL, CLINICAL, AND IMMUNOLOGICAL STUDIES ON THE PRODUCTS OF HUMAN PLASMA FRACTIONATION. XXVI. THE PROPERTIES OF SOLUTIONS OF HUMAN SERUM ALBUMIN OF LOW SALT CONTENT 12

Abstract

Human serum albumin prepared from pooled normal plasma can be dissolved in any diluent over a wide range of concn. The use of certain salts containing non-polar anions permits the prepn. of a 25% soln. of albumin possessing high thermal stability, a tonicity and pH close to that of normal plasma, a small ratio of Na ion to osmotically active protein, and no mercurial preservative. These properties can be obtained by adding 0.04 mole of Na acetyl tryptophanate/l. to the albumin soln. With these properties it is possible to heat the albumin soln. for 10 hrs. at 60[degree]C in the final container without significant change in the solute. This suffices to destroy most vegetative forms of bacteria and a number of viruses. This albumin soln. is useful not only for the treatment of shock but, because of the absence of Hg and the low Na content, it is advantageous as a diuretic agent. The acetyl tryptophane may serve as a source of tryptophane for nutrition to supplement the relatively small amt. of tryptophane present in human albumin. Albumin so prepared can be further heated for several days at 57[degree]C without sufficient change in its properties to alter materially its clinical usefulness.