SERUM LIPOPROTEINS - A PAPER ELECTROPHORESIS METHOD WITHOUT ALBUMIN IN BUFFER

A paper electrophoresis method is described in which four serum lipoprotein components are separated without the use of albumin in the buffer. Tris-EDTA-boric acid buffer, Oil Red O staining solution prepared in 52.8% instead of the usual 60% alcohol, and solvent-extracted paper strips are the distinguishing features of this procedure. The system was effective not only in separating chylomicron, β- and α-lipoproteins into well-defined bands, but also in separating very low density or pre-β-lipoprotein distinctly in some samples and partially in others. The advantages of this procedure are low background staining and, in comparison to the procedure using albumin in the buffer, a sharper alpha band. This sharpened α-band gives a sharper peak in densitometric scanning. Electrophoresis could be performed for 16 hr or 4 hr. The 4-hr electrophoresis run produced electrophoregrams with even denser and sharper bands than the 16-hr run. © 1969 American Oil Chemists' Society.