188 PATENT ABSTRACTS

parations including Protease Nexin-2 or modified forms thereof are disclosed. Medical uses for the pharmaceutical prepara

5213964

H I G H - D E N S I T Y L I P O P R O T E I N S O L I D - B A S E P R E C I P I T A T I O N

A S S A Y M E T H O D

Ronald Jones assigned to Cholestech Corpora- tion

glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase into 6- phosphogluconate. ATP, NAD and the enzymes mentioned are included in a suitably buffered reagent mixture, which can be added as a single dose to the glucose-containing liquid sample. The reaction is monitored kinetically by measuring the absorption caused by the NADH produced in the second phase twice within ap- proximately one minute from the initiation of the first reaction phase. The glucose content of the sample can be calculated from the measured change of absorbance.

An improved method for measuring the con- centration of HDL-associated cholesterol in a blood-fluid sample. The method includes (a) adding a volume of the sample to an absorptive matrix (i) formed of glass fibers and (ii) effective to separate soluble from precipitated blood through the matrix from a sample-application site to a sample-collection site in the matrix, (b) releasing into the matrix, dextran sulfate and magnesium ions in an amount effective to selec- tively precipitate LDL and VLDL in the fluid sample, and (c) assaying fluid sample which has migrated through the matrix for the presence of lipoprotein-bound cholesterol. The improve- ment in the method comprises treating the glass fibers by reaction with bis(hydroxyethyl) amino- propyltriethoxy silane or by coating the fibers with polyvinyl alcohol, thereby affording sub- stantially 100% recovery of HDL applied to the matrix.

5213966

5213967

A U T O M A T E D S T E R I L I T Y T E S T I N G S Y S T E M W I T H C O N C U R R E N T S A M P L E

D I S S O L V I N G , D I L U T I N G A N D M I X I N G

George Erdman, Douglas Fischer assigned to Merck & Co Inc

There is disclosed an automated system for testing the sterility of products intended for human health administration or for human con- sumption. The system permits a plurality of sam- ples of a product to be concurrently tested and is arranged so that multiple samples of a product to be tested can be mixed and then conveyed to test canisters along with appropriate growth media prior to determining that the product is sterile or is free from microbial contamination.

Q U A N T I T A T I V E D E T E R M I N A T I O N O F G L U C O S E U T I L I Z I N G E N Z Y M E C A S C A D E

S Y S T E M

Paul Vuorinen, Aim Harmoinen, Hannu Jokela, Tampere, Finland assigned to Kone Oy

A procedure is disclosed for the determination of glucose in a biological liquid, as well as a rea- gent mixture for use in conjunction with the pro- cedure. The biological liquids concerned are especially blood, blood components, urine and spinal fluid. The procedure is based on a two- phase enzymatic reaction, the first phase of which comprises transforming glucose with the aid of ATP (adenosine-5-triphosphate) and hex- okinase into glucose-6-phosphate and the second phase of which comprises transforming glucose-6-phosphate with the aid of N A D and

5213970

M E T H O D F O R O B T A I N I N G S O L U B L E A N T I T U M O R F A C T O R

Gabriel Lopez-Berestein, Jim Klostergaard, Jim Turpin assigned to Board of Regents The University of Texas System

Disclosed herein is a novel antitumor factor, ter- med Human Monocyte Toxin, obtained by the precise activation of cells of mono- cyte/macrophage lineage. Monocytes are isolated in the absence of endotoxin by counter- flow elutriation. HMT release can be triggered by exposure to low levels of 6-0-stearoyl

PATENT ABSTRACTS

muramyl dipeptide, lipopolysaccharide, phorbol myristate acetate or other known macrophage activating agents. Triggering results in the rapid release of HMT which requires transcription, translation, and intact secretory apparatus. The requirement for precise control of the triggering agent concentration is disclosed. HMT in serum- free supernatants can be resolved into two dist- inct species based on molecular sieving employing conventional or HPLC chromatography: minor species of 100-120 Kd, termed alpha, and the predominant form, beta, of 60-70 Kd. Beta-HMT has been further characterized as purified by chromatofocusing and HP ion-exchange LC, which indicate a moderately acidic nature. Bcta-HMT demonstrates cytotoxic (cytolytic and/or cyto- static) activity against human and murine cell lines in vitro. Beta-HMT mediated lysis of tar- gets does not involve detectable production H202 or O2-, nor can it be blocked by pretreat- ment of the toxin with TLCK; however, reversible protease inhibitors partially block lysis when coincubated with the target cell and Beta-HMT.

5213971

P R O C E S S F O R I N D U C I N G C Y T O C H R O M E P - 4 5 0 E N Z Y M E S I N S T R E P T O M Y C E S B A C T E R I A

A N D D E T E R M I N I N G T H E M U T A G E N I C I T Y O F C H E M I C A L S

Daniel A Kunz, Fateme S Sariaslani assigned to E I Du Pont de Nemours and Company

A process for inducing cytochrome P-450 en- zyme production in bacteria of the genus Strep- tomyces using inducers such as soybean flour, genistein or genistin is described. Uses for the cytochrome P-450 enzymes produced are also discussed as is a process for using genetically engineered Streptomyces to determine the mutagenicity of chemicals.

189

5213981

B E D D I N G A P P A R A T U S

Masahiro Sei, Kanagawa, Japan assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu Seisakusho

A bedding apparatus includes a culture mechanism for accommodating a cultured tissue together with a nutrient solution for culturing the tissue; a selecting mechanism selects cultured tissues on the basis of color and magnitude, and the selected culture tissues are bedded one-by- one on a nutrient medium. A density detecting mechanism detects the density of the cultured tis- sues and responsive thereto a feeding mechanism selective feeds nutrient solution or pure water to the cultured tissues.

5214170

R A D I O I S O T O P E I O D I N E - L A B E L E D 1 A L P H A ( O R 24R) , 2 5 - D I H Y D R O X Y V I T A M I N D 3

D E R I V A T I V E S

Miyuki Tanabe, Shigeru Ikuta, Shizuoka, Japan assigned to Toyo Jozo Kabushiki Kaisha

A novel 1 alpha (or 24R), 25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 amino acid derivative of the formula See Pa- tent for Chemical Structure wherein R1 is OH or - O-CO-A-NH2, and R2 and R3 are each selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, OH and - O-CO-A-NH2; wherein one of R2 and R3 is hydrogen, one of R, R2 and R3 is OH, and one of R1, R2 and R3 is -O-CO-A-NH2; and wherein A is Cl-10 alkylene, is produced by removing a protective group for the amino group, e.g. 9- fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl, in the presence of a base in an inert solvent. A radioisotope iodine- labeled residue is then attached to the amino group to produce a derivative useful in the assay of 1 alpha (or 24R), 25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 in a specimen.