The Negative Acute Phase Proteins

Abstract

The latter proteins have become known as the negative acute phase proteins. An acute phase response can be readily and reproducibly induced in experimental rats by subcutaneous injection of a small amount of mineral turpentine to produce a transient acute inflammation. The simultaneous decrease in the plasma concentration of negative acute phase proteins, while the concentration of positive acute phase proteins is rapidly increasing, prevents the concentration of total plasma protein from rising more than moderately during the acute phase response. The reduction in the rate of incorporation of radioactive amino acid into albumin precedes the reduction in its plasma concentration, similar to the observation for positive acute phase proteins. Reduced synthesis rates of a negative acute phase protein can be the result of reduction in the rate of transcription of its gene or translation of its mRNA.