Zone Electrophoresis: A Study of the Mutual Effects of Polymeric and Electrical Parameters

A correlation is made between serum protein electrophoresis behavior on various cellulosic media and the electrical parameters eliciting the observed behavior. In a standard electrophoresis procedure for human serum employing 1-by 6-inch strips of a cellulose acetate support medium, a tris-barbital buffer having an ionic strength of 0.05 for the combined molarity of its ionizable salts is employed at a constant 250 volts over a period of 45 minutes at ambient temperature (about 26°C). The natures of several polymer support media are correlated with buffer strengths, current densities, and separation times. Variances in electrical operating factors, such as resistivity and heat production, are compared to standard results obtained on a control cellulose acetate membrane. The effects of polymeric structural differences are defined in terms of the adjustments in the standard electrical operating conditions that are necessary to yield control-quality electrophoretic separation. Protein separation characteristics are discussed in terms of the theory involved, the results obtained, and the clinical significances of the findings.