Major plasma glycoproteins of diabetic and nondiabetic Chinese hamsters.

Differences were noted in the plasma glycoprotein electrophoretic profile of diabetic versus nondiabetic chinese hamster. The variant plasma proteins were identified by chromatographic and electrophoretic procedures as transferrin (Tf) and alpha 2 macroglobulin (alpha 2M). The transferrin variants were line dependent and not altered in streptozotesin induced diabetics. Alpha 2M patterns were changed to that of the diabetics after streptozotesin treatment, and therefore are metabolic variants.