Isolation of hyaluronic acid from cultures of streptococci in a chemically defined medium

A haemolytic streptococcus (Lancefield's group A) has been cultivated in a chemically defined medium. About 300 mg hyaluronic acid of a high degree of purity was isolated per litre of this culture.

Distribution of prostaglandins E2 and F2 alpha within the foetoplacental unit throughout human pregnancy

The concentrations of prostaglandin E2 and F2 alpha have been measured by radioimmunoassay in portions of cord, placenta, amnion, chorion, decidua and myometrium. The samples were obtained at defined periods of pregnancy, and the results have been compared with those obtained from the analyses of endometrial and myometrial tissue removed from women during the secretory phase of a menstrual cycle. The results showed that during pregnancy the mean concentration of prostaglandin E2 was higher (27-518%) than the corresponding value for prostaglandin F2 alpha in all tissues. At term the concentration of prostaglandin E2 (ng/100 mg wet weight of tissue, mean +/- S.D.) was higher in the umbilical cord (5-54 +/- 0-88), decidua (4-02 +/- 1-78) and myometrium (4-19 +/- 1-06), than in the amnion (2-25 +/- 1-27), chorion (1-64 "/- 0-63) or placenta (1-04 +/- 0-25). During labour there was a significant rise (P less than 0.0005, Student's 't' test) in the concentration in decidua (10-76 +/- 4-45), and to a lesser extent (P less than 0-05) in the myometrium (5-84 +/- 2-65) and amnion (4-77 +/- 2-51). The overall concentration in decidua during the first trimester (3-09 +/- 1-02) was significantly lower (P less than 0-005) than in endometrial tissue(16-82 +/- 10-13). The concentration was lower in myometrial tissue from non-pregnant subjects (2-90 +/- 2-21), than in the corresponding tissue removed at term (4-19 +/- 1-06) or during labour 5-84 +/- 2-65). The results for prostaglandin F2 alpha showed a similar pattern, but the values were significantly lower in the umbilical cord, and the percentage changes in concentration in the decidua and myometrium were of a higher magnitude.

[Value of histospectrophotometry for the study of glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans, and anionic polyglycans after staining with pseudo-isocyanine]

Pseudo-isocyanine, a basic stain, shows a characteristic metachromasia when associated with biological polyanions. The maximal absorption peak is very narrow and its wavelength is specific for the substances tested, in vitro as well as in tissue sections.

Human umbilical cord hyaluronate. Neutral sugar content and carbohydrate-protein linkage studies

Paper chromatography of neutral sugars and gas chromatography of their aldononitrile acetates indicated the presence of fucose, arabinose and a small amount of glucose in purified human umbilical cord hyaluronate. The molar ratios of serine, threonine and aspartic acid to neutral sugars were not unity, suggesting the non-involvement of the neutral sugars and the amino acids in a carbohydrate-protein linkage. The same was indicated by an increase in the percentage of the aforementioned amino acids and by the absence of sugar alditols in umbilical cord hyaluronate reduced eith NaBH4 -PdCl2, after alkali treatment. This reduction caused a decrease in the intrinsic viscosity and molecular wieght to about one-half and an appreciable decrease in the specific rota tion of hyaluronate, suggesting a separation of the two antiparallel chains o the double helical hyaluronate. The umbilical cord hyluronate containe contained bound silicon and it is possible that this bound silicon may cross-link the two chains at interspersed intervals through the uronic acid moiety and/or through neutral sugars.

Biochemical characterization of hyaluronic acid from a case of benign, localized, pleural mesothelioma

The tissue of a benign, localized, pleural mesothelioma was digested with protease, and the crude polysaccharide was fractionated by a column of Dowex-1 (Cl-form). The eluate from the column was electrophoresed and incubated with various mucopolysaccharide lysases. Based on the results of column chromatography, electrophoresis, and enzymatic digestion, it was found that hyaluronic acid was the major constituent of the glycosaminoglycans in pleural mesothelioma. The hyaluronic acid from pleural mesothelioma seemed to be identical in structure with that from human umbilical cord; however, the hyaluronic acid from mesothelioma was eluted before that from human umbilical cord when fractionated by the column of Sepharose 4B, suggesting a differnence in molecular size between the two. Also, evidence was obtained for the presence of dermatan sulfate and heparan sulfate.

Isolation, characterization and function of cord-blood transferrin

1. Transferrin was isolated from umbilical cord blood by means of gel filtration on Sephadex G-150 and ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50, and its properties were compared with those of transferrin isolated from human adult blood. 2. Both glycoproteins were able to bind a maximum of two atoms of iron per molecule and have very similar amino acid and carbohydrate compositions. 3. The molecular weight of cord-blood transferrin, assessed by equilibrium centrifugation, was 78200, and its sedimentation velocity appeared to be 5-2S. 4. Cord-blood transferrin and adult blood transferrin were found to be immunochemically identical. 5. No differences could be detected between the transferrins in their capacities to deliver iron to immature erythrocytes derived from rat bone marrow, which indicates that the rapid transport of iron across the placenta cannot be explained by differences between foetal and maternal transferrin.

Free radicals and inflammation: protection of synovial fluid by superoxide dismutase

Enzymatically genierated superoxide radical. by reactitng with hydrogen peroxide to prduce the hydroxyl radical, depolymerized puirified hyaluronic acid and bovine synovial flulid. Since phagocytizing polymorphonuclear leukocytes produce superoxide radicals, this reac-tion is sutggested and shown to be quantitatively feasible as the ini vivo mechanism of synovial fluid degradation in anl inflamed joint. Superoxide dismutase, and catalase protect synaovial fluid against such degradation in vitro.