Relationship between plasmin-trypsin-inhibitory and sialyltransferase activities

Previously we have shown that the measurable soluble sialyltransferase (STase) activity released into the medium during the incubation of rat jejunal slices was dependent upon the presence of a heparin-binding fraction (HBF) from heat-inactivated serum or a trypsin-binding protein (TBP) isolated from HBF. Both HBF and TBP were able to inhibit trypsin and plasmin. The measurement of galactosyltransferase (GTase) activity which was also released in incubations was not dependent on HBF or TBP. The present study is directed towards further exploring the relationship between STase activity and protease inhibitory activity. Heat-inactivated serum from turpentine-treated rats (HTS), had higher plasmin-trypsin-inhibitory (HTS) activities compared to heat-inactivated serum from control rats (HCS). When HTS was used to supplement jejunal incubations, there was a 25–40% increase in the measurable STase activity in the incubation medium compared to similar incubations carried out in buffer alone. In contrast, with HCS the increase was 10–15%. During incubations with hepatocytes, STase activity detected in the incubation medium was increased with the incubation buffer was supplemented with HTS compared to incubations supplemented with HCS. Serum antiproteolytic activity was higher in turpentine rats compared to controls. Incubation of serum at 37°C led to a progressive decrease in plasmin-trypsin-inhibitory and STase activities. TBP a plasmin and trypsin inhibitor was able to prevent the decrease in STase activity. Overall, serum STase activity was higher in the turpentine treated rats. In contrast, GTase activity in serum as well as that detected in the medium during jejunal and hepatocyte incubations was not dependent on protease inhibitory activity. The results show that there is a relationship between soluble STase and plasmin-trypsin-inhibitory activities.