USE OF CENTRIFUGE COLUMN TECHNIQUE IN ESTIMATION OF ARGINASE IN HUMAN-SERUM

Arginase activity in 30 normal adults was in the range of 5-45 IU/l with a mean vlaue of 18.2 IU/l. Optimal activity was achieved by heat treatment at 55.degree. C for 10 min with 50 mM Mn2+. After activation, low-MW compounds interfering with the colorimetric assay of urea, ornithine and excess Mn2+ used for optimal activation were removed by a simple centrifuge column technique using Sephadex G-50. This method eliminated all interfering chromogenic compounds to Chinard''s ninhydrin reaction from serum. Some chromogenic compounds to diacetylmonoxime reaction could not be eliminated as they were bound to serum proteins and had to be corrected by suitable blanks.