The purification and properties of two forms of beta-galactosidase from monkey brain

Spinal cord edema, 5-hydroxytryptamine, lipid peroxidation, and lysosomal enzyme release after acute contusion and compression injury in primates

Physical and biochemical changes in the spinal cord of monkeys at 1/2, 2, and 4 hours following 200 g cm contusion injury and 50 g of compression injury and 2 hours of decompression following 4 hours of compression were studied. The pathophysiologic changes were milder in compression compared to contusion injury. Following contusion injury, at 1/2 and 2 hours there was significant increase in % water content, lipid peroxidation, and alpha-L-fucosidase. alpha-D-Mannosidase was significantly increased at all time periods, and beta-D-hexosaminidase was increased at 1/2 and 4 hours. At 4 hours following injury, serotonin (5 HT) and 5-hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) showed a significant increase. From 10 minutes to 2 hours there was increased platelet aggregation. In compression injury, a significant increase in water content and 5 HT was observed only at 1/2 hour. Lipid peroxidation had increased at all time periods, whereas B-D-hexosaminidase, beta-D-galactosidase, and 5-HIAA were increased at 2 hours. alpha-D-Mannosidase had increased at 1/2 and 2 hours, and alpha-L-fucosidase had increased at 4 hours. After 2 hours decompression following 4 hours compression, water content, beta-D-galactosidase, and alpha-D-Mannosidase were significantly increased. An attempt was made to correlate the findings and to understand the sequential pathophysiologic changes in the first 4 hours following spinal cord trauma, providing a baseline for evaluation of the efficacy of any therapeutic maneuvers.

Acid glycosidase and arylsulfatase activities of human cerebrospinal fluid as measured by concanavalin A-sepharose affinity chromatography

An affinity chromatographic method using concanavalin A-Sepharose is described for the determination of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase, arylsulfatase. alpha-L-Fucosidase and alpha-D-mannosidase activities in the human cerebrospinal fluid. By this method (starting with 12 to 20 ml samples of cerebrospinal fluid) the above enzymes could be obtained in a concentrated form and their activities could be determined within incubation periods of 30 min to 1 h under the assay conditions described. The pH optima of the enzymes were in the range of pH 4 to 5. About 80% of the total cerebrospinal fluid N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase was found to be the A form by DEAE-Sephadex A-50 chromatography. About 60% of the total arylsulfatase was also found to be the A form. Determination of these enzyme activities in a few samples of human cerebrospinal fluid indicated a rough proportionality between the enzyme activities and the protein concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid.