Chemical Properties
White to off-white powder
Uses
Used to precipitate DNA from low salt aqueous buffers.
Uses
Spermine tetrahydrochloride was used to precipitate DNA for flow cytometric analysis from fresh frozen breast cancer tissue, archival tissue of salivary gland, renal and thyroid tumors and red blood cells of chicken.
Uses
Spermine Tetrahydrochloride is an inhibitor of NOS1, NMDA, GluR, and PLCα. A useful reactant for Surface-?enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) characterization of abasic sites in DNA duplexes.
Biological Activity
Polyamine which produces a variety of modulatory effects on the NMDA receptor channel, acting through a specific site on the complex which can cause both agonist and antagonist effects.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Mixed NMDA agonist/antagonist at the polyamine site. Neuroprotective effects have been observed at high concentrations (1 mM), while neurotoxicity is observed at lower concentrations. It enhances agonist effectiveness at the strychnine-insensitive glycine site. Plays a role in cellular proliferation and differentiation; inhibits neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS).
storage
Desiccate at +4°C
Purification Methods
Its pK values are similar to those of spermidine above. Purify it as for spermidine trihydrochloride above. [Beilstein 4 IV 1301.]
