Modulation of microvessel wall charge by plasma glycoprotein orosomucoid

Haraldsson and Rippe suggested that the circulating glycoprotein orosomucoid (alpha 1-acid glycoprotein) contributes to the net charge on microvessel walls (Acta Physiol. Scand. 129: 127-135, 1987). We tested their hypothesis in individually perfused microvessels of frog mesentery by measuring solute permeability coefficients of two globular proteins (alpha-lactalbumin and ribonuclease) having approximately the same size (Stokes radius, 2 nm) but different charge (-11 and +3, respectively). In vessels perfused with orosomucoid (0.1 and 1 mg/ml) in a Ringer-albumin perfusate, the solute permeability coefficient of alpha-lactalbumin decreased to one-half [0.47 +/- 0.25 (SD)] the value in the absence of orosomucoid, and the solute permeability coefficient of ribonuclease was close to six times as large as alpha-lactalbumin permeability. Both results may be accounted for if orosomucoid increases the net negative charge on microvessel walls in frog mesentery from 11.2 to 28 meq/l. A similar change in microvessel charge would be more than sufficient to account for the decrease in albumin clearance in the presence of orosomucoid reported by Haraldsson and Rippe in rat muscle microvessels.