Paper Electrophoresis of Serum Proteins in Control and Diabetic Rats

¹ From the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oregon Medical School, Portland, Oregon

A comparison of serum protein fractions (electrophoretic separation) between fed female control and alloxan diabetic rats indicates a decrease in percentage albumin and an increase in percentage ₂-, ß- and -globulins. Total protein also decreased and so did the grams percentage albumin and ₁-globulin, while the grams percentage ß-globulin rose. In the depancreatized series there was a decrease in both percentage and grams percentage albumin and ₁-globulin and an increase in the percentage and grams percentage ß- and -globulins. With the exception of a rise in -globulin, sham operated rats showed no change in any category. Control male rats have higher ₁ and lower -globulin values than female rats, but both male and female rats show the same changes following the production of diabetes by either alloxan administration or partial pancreatectomy. Fasting control or diabetic rats 24 hours produces no change in the serum protein patterns despite the disappearance of observable lipemia during the fast.