Studies of proteins elutable from cuprophane exposed to human plasma

Abstract

The proteins elutable under certain conditions from Cuprophane exposed to platelet-poor plasma (PPP) have been studied. Normal PPP was exposed to untreated Cuprophane, to Cuprophane pretreated with human albumin, or to Cuprophane pretreated with heparin. PPP from donors receiving aspirin therapy was exposed also to untreated Cuprophane. Experiments were conducted in a test column especially designed for optimal exposure of plasma to Cuprophane. Polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis was used to detect the plasma proteins recovered from Cuprophane. The results indicate that 1) Cuprophane-PPP exposure time had no effect on the number of different species of proteins recovered from untreated Cuprophane; 2) the number of proteins recoverable from albumin precoated Cuprophane increased with longer Cuprophane-PPP exposure time; 3) pretreatment of Cuprophane with heparin also increased the number of proteins recoverable initially; however, decreasing numbers of proteins were recovered after prolonged periods of plasma exposure; and 4) aspirin therapy increased the number of proteins recoverable. This latter increase was related directly to the length of PPP-Cuprophane exposure time. The proteins recovered were identified tentatively and the results discussed.