Separations of isomeric polyols

Biochemical differences in human glomerular basement membrane related to diabetes and age

Preparations of glomerular basement membrane from diabetic and young and aged normal subjects have been isolated and purified and the component carbohydrates and amino acids quantitatively determined. Diabetic membrane preparations, compared with membranes from young normal subjects, show significant increases in total hexoses, mannose, and galactose and decreases in sialic acid and glucose; the component amino acids show increases in hydroxylysine, proline, and glycine and decreases in lysine, histidine, and leucine. Basement membrane preparations from aged normals show changes in component carbohydrates and amino acids similar to, but not as great as, those seen in the diabetics.

Development of gel filtration and specific analyses of urinary carbohydrate and protein material

Hitherto investigations into urinary carbohydrate and proteinaceous macromolecular material has largely been restricted to non-dialysable fractions. We found that this limits the investigation to less than 1% of the total material present and we present a method for direct analysis of urine without prior concentration or extraction. This method extends existing techniques allowing deeper investigation into necessary and important chemical aspects of health and disease. The method is based on gel filtration using Bio-Gel P2. Means included to overcome the observed adsorption by the gel matrix of relevant material depend on use of high ionic concentration buffers for column elution. The problems of bacterial contamination of the gel matrix are discussed and the use of presterilised urine samples is proposed to prevent contamination. The coupling of the gel filtration column to three specific automated analyses allows simultaneous determination of uronic acid, neutral sugar and proteinaceous material.

Periodate oxidation studies of human pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone

A preparation of human pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone was subjected to periodate oxidation, borohydride reduction and acid hydrolysis. Comparison of the analysis of the remaining intact carbohydrate and amino acid units with the analyses of the original material and identification of the carbohydrate fragments permit some structural assignments to the molecule of follicle-stimulating hormone. The results of radioimmunological assay of fragments of the molecule of follicle-stimulating hormone suggest that, although the carbohydrate component is essential for biological activity, it is not a requirement for immunological activity, which appears to be a function of the protein moiety.