title: Metabolism of concanavalin A-affinity molecular variants of alpha-fetoprotein in rats.
abstract: Serum half-lives of unfractionated rat alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), concanavalin A (Con A)-nonreactive AFP, and Con A-reactive AFP in normal 45- to 55-day-old male and female F344 rats were determined to be 19 hours. No significant differences were seen between the half-lives of unfractionated AFP and either of the two Con A-affinity molecular variants of AFP studied. No evidence of interconversion of the Con A-affinity AFP variants during 24 hours in the circulation was found. These results supported the conclusion that the proportions of Con A-affinity molecular variants of AFP in the sera of fetal, newborn, and hematoma-bearing rats result from differences in the relative synthesis rates of the two variants.
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013045:Species Specificity; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D003208:Concanavalin A