Spermidine Values Research Articles

Polyamine levels in blood and plasma of patients with malignant melanoma

The polyamines putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, spermine, and the amine histamine in whole blood and plasma of 42 patients with malignant melanoma were analysed after cold acid extraction and ion-exchange chromatography by fluorescence detection. Depending on the degree of tumor spreading the patients were grouped into 5 subpopulations; results were statistically compared with the values obtained from a normal population. The mean values of polyamine concentrations in the patient groups were generally not distinguishable from the mean values of the controls. Solely the mean of the spermidine values of postoperative patients with or without medical therapy and the spermine mean value for postoperative patients in tumor stage I and III were elevated. Cadaverine was never detected. The individual frequency of elevated polyamine levels in the plasma of single patients and variable, depending on patient subpopulation and polyamine under consideration. Spermidine was most frequently elevated (44%) in patients of tumor stage I under immunetherapy. We conclude that due to the low frequency of polyamine elevations to be found in plasma of melanoma patients by our method no diagnostic or prognostic significance and only limited importance for monitoring patients under therapy can be claimed for.

Polyamine concentrations in red cells and urine of patients with chronic renal failure

Spermidine and spermine concentrations were measured in 6 healthy subjects, 18 patients with chronic renal failure and 6 patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. In nondialyzed patients with advanced renal failure (serum creatinine levels greater than 6 mg %), red cell spermidine concentrations were significantly higher than in normal subjects (54.8±14.5 vs. 24.8±63 SD nmoles/ml packed cells). However red cell spermine concentrations were unchanged as compared to normal subjects (18.7±7.3 vs. 12.4±3.4 nmoles/ml packed cells). In patients with serum creatinine levels below 6 mg%, neither red cell spermidine or spermine concentrations were significantly different from normal subjects. There was a significant correlation between red cell spermidine values and both serum urea and serum creatinine levels, but no correlations were observed for red cell spermine. Red cell spermidine values were also significantly higher in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis than in normal subjects. In each patient, red cell spermidine concentrations were no different after a hemodialysis treatment than immediately prior to dialysis. In urine, excretion rates of polyamines as well as the precursor diamine, putrescine, were lower in patients with chronic renal failure than in normal subjects. Hence in renal failure, one factor contributing to the accumulation of spermidine in red cells would appear to be a decrease in the urinary excretion of polyamines.

Polyamine oxidase of fungi. Part IV. Kinetic properties of fungal polyamine oxidases and their application to differential determination of spermine and spermidine.

Polyamine oxidase from Penicillium chrysogenum oxidized spermine rapidly and spermidine slightly at pH 7.5. The apparent Km values for spermine and spermidine were calculated to be 2.25×10-5M and 9.54×10-6M, respectively. The relative maximum velocities for spermine and spermidine were 3.37×10-3M (H2O2) per min per mg of protein and 2.08×10-4M (H2O2) per min per mg of protein, respectively. Spermine oxidation of the enzyme was competitively inhibited by spermidine and putrescine. The apparent Ki values by spermidine and putrescine were calculated to be 3.00×10-5M and 1.80×10-3M, respectively. On the other hand, polyamine oxidase from Aspergillus terreus rapidly oxidized both spermidine and spermine at pH 6.5. The apparent Km values for spermidine and spermine were 1.20×10-6M and 5.37×10-7M, respectively. The relative maximum velocities for spermidine and spermine were 1.55×10-2M (H2O2) per min per mg of protein and 6.20×10-3M (H2O2) per min per mg of protein, respectively. Differential determination of spermine and spermidine was carried out using the two enzymes. The initial rate was assayed with Penicillium enzyme and the end point was measured afte addition of Aspergillus enzyme. Small amounts of polyamines (25 to 200 nmol of spermine and 25 to 250 nmol of spermidine) were assayed by solving two simultaneous equations obtained from the rate assay method and the end point assay method. The calculated values were in close agreement with those obtained by an amino-acid analyzer.

1116 REYES' SYNDROME: EVIDENCE FOR ABNORMAL POLYAMINE (PA) METABOLISM

Four children, ages 1-16, were admitted with a history of a prodrome viral illness and, after an interval, pernicious vomiting and the onset of disordered psychomotor activity. Abnormal liver function tests including blood ammonia were present in all during the course of their illness. Patients sampled for PAs were staged with respect to CNS status, I-IV, after Huttenlocher Serial serum-free PAs, namely spermine (SPM) and spermidine (SPD) were determined from serum sample aliquots by radioimmunoassay. All patients had elevated SPD values (mean peak value of 2.06 nanomol/ml) which declined rapidly to a post-admission value of 0.45 nanomol/ml in the 3 surviving children. Highest SPD value (4.20 nanomol/ml) was observed in the patient with the most severe neurological score (III) on admission. SPM levels, by contrast, were much lower and there was a 1-2 day delay in SPM peak development in the 3 surviving children. Clinical improvement paralleled the decline in serum PAs. PA administered I.V. to man causes prompt and persistent vomiting. Specific PA binding sites have been identified on animal brain cell membranes. SPM has been demonstrated to markedly reduce oxygen consumption by brain tissue. In vitro Na, K-ATPase activity is also depressed by PA addition. Parenteral PA doses to experimental animals may cause somnolence, ataxia, coma and death.

Polyamines in trypanosomatids

Polyamines were determined by n-butanol extraction and thin-layer chromatography in four trypanosomatids: Trypanosoma brucei (rat infection) and cultures of Crithidia fasciculata, Leptomonas sp., and Trypanosoma mega. All had putrescine and spermidine but no detectable spermine. Putrescine and spermidine levels were quantitated for extracts of leptomonas during the normal growth cycle. Spermidine values peaked 18 h before peak cell populations. Spermidine-putrescine ratios for all organisms were related to the presumed phylogeny of the group.