Search

Brinase (an extract of Aspergillus Oryzae) was shown to rapidly digest human fibrinogen in vitro to aggregable degradation products with a molecular size range of 310,000 to 230,000 the latter fragments being more slowly digested to core fragments, Dbr and Ebr. The fibrinogen polypeptide chain susceptibility to Brinase attack was in the order Aα, γ, Bβ, Lysis of the Bβ chain seems to be the rate limiting step in the conversion of the high molecular weight fragments (MW 310,000–230,000) to the core fragments Dbr and Ebr. The conservation of NH2 terminal Tyrosine during fibrinogen digestion and the very transient existence of D dimer fragments during totally crosslinked fibrin lysis suggest that the carboxy end of the γ chain is prone to Brinase attack. The crosslinked α chains of fibrin, while resistant to plasmin, are vigorously digested by Brinase. The plasma of cancer patients being treated with Brinase contained degraded fibrinogen (lacking intact Aα chains) and their aggregates. These aggregates contained some crosslinked γ chains (γ-γ dimers) suggesting that Brinase in vivo exorcises both a lytic and coagulant effect. Thrombin mediated clots in all the plasmas examined contained no crosslinked α chains. Positive plasma ethanol gelation tests can be explained by the presence of the aggregable high molecular weight fragments observed during the in vitro lysis of fibrinogen by Brinase.