[Determination of molecular weight distributions and mean molecular-weight values of clinical dextrans]

Clinical dextrans can be separated in fractions of different molecular size by permeation chromatography on porous glass columns. The apparatus, which is rather simple, is described in detail. The conversion of the elution diagrams in molecular weight distributions is possible if an adequate calibration curve and the magnitude of peak broadening are known. This information can be obtained experimentally. The analysis of the elution diagram is uncomplicated and generally applicable if both the elution curve and the boradening function are approximately Gaussian distributions. Usually this is the case in the systems in question. With the method described clinical dextrans can be characterized as to their molecular weights with high accuracy. The separation method can also be applied to the production of dextran fractions of narrow molecular weight distributions in a preparative scale.