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Studies on the structure and biological effects of pyrotoxins purified from burned skin

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Abstract

Murine skin was thermally injured under controlled conditions in a standard high temperature burn model. After high-speed homogenization of the burned skin, a toxic fraction was isolated applying different purification procedures. It was demonstrated that high temperature burns produced chemical condensations and high molecular aggregates in the protein moiety of the skin. Plasma proteins were involved in these reactions. After the purification process, the high molecular aggregates were obtained not as pure proteins, but as lipid-protein micelles. In the lipid moiety itself, thermal decomposition products were detectable. The biological effects of the purified lipid-protein fraction were studied by aid of rat liver perfusions 5 days after intraperitoneal injection of the material measuring different biosynthetic activities of the isolated organ. Significantly reduced biosynthesis of urea and depressed gluconeogenesis were demonstrable. The biochemical results are paralleled by ultrastructural findings indicating that the lipid-protein complex from burned skin causes mitochondrial vacuolization in liver cells of treated animals.

Résumé

Chez des souris, une brûlure cutanée a été réalisée dans des conditions contrôlées et avec un modèle standard de brûlure à haute température. Après homogénéisation à grande vitesse de la peau brûlée, une fraction toxique a été isolée par différentes techniques de purification. Nous avons démontré qu'une brûlure à température élevée produit des condensations chimiques et des aggrégats macromoléculaires dans la fraction protéinique de la peau. Les protéines plasmatiques jouent un rôle dans ces réactions. Après purification, les aggrégats macromoléculaires sont récoltés, non pas sous forme de protéines pures, mais sous forme de micelles lipo-protéiniques. Dans la fraction lipidique, on trouve des produits de décomposition thermique. Les effets biologiques de la fraction lipoprotéinique purifiée ont été étudiés sur une perfusion de foie de rat, 5 jours après injection intrapéritonéale du produit; plusieurs activités de biosynthèse du foie isolé ont été étudiées. Nous avons observé une nette réduction de la synthèse de l'urée et une dépression de la glyconéogenèse. Ces résultats biochimiques concordent avec des modifications de l'ultrastructure cellulaire: le complexe lipo-protéinique de la peau brûlée produit une vacuolisation des mitochondries des cellules hépatiques.

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Schmidt, K., Schölmerich, J., Kremer, B. et al. Studies on the structure and biological effects of pyrotoxins purified from burned skin. World J. Surg. 3, 361–365 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01556594

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