A comparison between naturally occurring macroamylasaemia and macroamylasaemia induced by hydroxyethyl-starch.
Macroamylasaemia was produced in vitro by incubation of hydroxyethylstarch with serum, and in vivo by intravenous infusion of hydroxyethylstarch. Gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 revealed distinct differences in molecular size distribution between such hydroxyethylstarch-induced macroamylase and the usual form of naturally occurring macroamylase which was observed in a few patients from our hospital. Further studies demonstrated that the gel filtration elution pattern of amylase activity in serum containing hydroxyethylstarch-induced macroamylase is significantly altered with time in vitro and in vivo, probably because of an enzymatic degradation of the hydroxyethylstarch components of the macromolecular complexes. In a healthy volunteer the serum amylase activity was elevated to a maximum of 797 u/l and the renal clearance rate of amylase was diminished to a minimum of 0.3 ml/min after infusion of 500 ml of a 6% solution of hydroxyethylstarch, as compared to 300 u/l, and 0.95 ml/min, respectively, during the  pre-infusion period.
D000328:Adult; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D006895:Hydroxyethyl Starch Derivatives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D013213:Starch / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
D006895:Hydroxyethyl Starch Derivatives; D013213:Starch; D000681:Amylases