Chemical and metabolic heterogeneity of chondroitin sulfate and keratan sulfate in guinea pig cartilage and nucleus pulposus

• Chondroitin sulfate and keratan sulfate in guinea pig costal cartilage, nasal septum cartilage and nucleus pulposus were separated and fractionated by chromatography on CPC-cellulose, ECTEOLA-cellulose and Sephadex G-200 columns. Characterization of the chondroitin sulfates included determination of molecular weight and of the number, and position, of sulfate groups of the disaccharide units. Distinct chemical differences were found between the total fractions of chondroitin sulfate from the three tissues. Within the total fractions a marked heterogeneity was also apparent. The turnover of the two glycosaminoglycans was studied by using radioactive sulfate as precursor. The guinea pigs were killed at eight intervals, ranging from 30 min to 40 days after injection of the isotope. Total fractions of chondroitin sulfate from rib, nasal septum and nucleus pulposus showed half-lives of about 80, 40 and 30 days, respectively. In addition, the existence of a second metabolic component with a faster turnover (half-life about 3 days) was indicated in chondroitin sulfate from all three tissues. Similarly, keratan sulfate from the rib contained a 'slow' component with a half-life of about 90 days and a 'fast' component with a half-life of 4 days. For keratan sulfate from nucleus pulposus only a single component was demonstrable; it had a half-life of about 30 days. Within the total fractions of both chondroitin sulfate and keratan sulfate from the three tissues studied, a considerable degree of metabolic heterogeneity was apparent between, and within, subfractions of differing molecular weight.

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MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Ortopedi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Orthopaedics (hsv//eng)

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