Analysis of aortic glycosaminoglycans from various animal species by CPC-Cellulose column procedures

Abstract

Summary Aortic tissue from several species, including some common laboratory animals, has been investigated with regard to types of glycosaminoglycans present and with regard to their separation by the CPC (cetylpyridinium chloride) procedure of Antonopoulos et al . The polysaccharides were liberated from the tissue by papain digestion and precipitated with CPC. The glycosaminoglycan mixture was separated into components by precipitation on a CPC saturated cellulose column, followed by fractional solubi-lisation of the CP-polysaccharide complexes by salt solutions of increasing concentrations. The fractions isolated were analysed by chemical and enzymatic procedures and were also refractionated by an analogous CPC micro procedure. Hyaluronic acid, heparan sulphate, chondroitin sulphates and dermatan sulphate were identified in all materials investigated. The galactosaminoglycans could not be successfully separated: the isometric chondroitin sulphates were quite inseparable, while a purified dermatan sulphate fraction could be obtained only at the expense of considerable loss of material. The results suggest a pronounced polydispersity of the aortic galactosaminoglycans with regard to chain length and/or degree of sulphation. It is stressed that glycosaminoglycan heterogeneity must be taken into account when attempts are made to identify these substances by means of the solubility characteristics of their CP complexes.