Serum albumin is the most abundant blood plasma protein and is
produced in the liver and forms a large proportion of all plasma
protein. The human version is human serum albumin, and it normally
constitutes about 60% of human plasma protein.
Serum albumins are important in regulating blood volume by
maintaining the oncotic pressure (also known as colloid osmotic
pressure) of the blood compartment. They also serve as carriers
for molecules of low water solubility this way isolating their
hydrophobic nature, including lipid soluble hormones, bile salts,
unconjugated bilirubin, free fatty acids (apoprotein), calcium,
ions (transferrin), and some drugs like warfarin, phenobutazone,
clofibrate & phenytoin. For this reason, it's sometimes referred
as a molecular "taxi". Competition between drugs for albumin
binding sites may cause drug interaction by increasing the free
fraction of one of the drugs, thereby affecting potency.
|