Proteoglycans from sheep, pig, rat and human spleens having chemical and biological resemblances to that in Kurloff cells

Professor Barrie Vernon-Roberts, AO, MD, BSc, PhD, FRCPath, FRCPA, FAOrthA (Hon), FRS.SA

This issue of Inflammopharmacology contains papers that have been submitted to commemorate the life and work of Professor Barrie Vernon-Roberts, an outstanding clinical scientist in the field of bone pathology and its pharmacological regulation. This review briefly summarizes his major works and achievements as well as a list of his publications.

Peculiar ultraviolet absorbing moieties of human osteoarthritic cartilage

The ultraviolet absorbing components of human cartilage have been measured by microspectrophotometry. The characteristics of the chondrocytes appeared to be identical, irrespective of the pathology. However the matrix of osteoarthritis cartilage contained components that absorbed maximally in the region of 270 to 250 nm; such components were not found in the matrix of cartilage of non-arthritic joints. Substances that absorb maximally in this region of the ultraviolet could generate free radicals.

Kurloff cell proteoglycans. Evidence for de novo synthesis of chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans by purified Kurloff cells

This paper reports the first direct demonstration of de novo synthesis of chondroitin sulphate proteoglycans by Kurloff cells. This was achieved using highly purified splenic Kurloff cells labelled in vitro with [35S]sulphate and D-[U-3H]glucosamine. A single population of sulphated proteoglycans was observed after dissociative extraction, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, Sepharose CL 6B chromatography and fluorography after electrophoresis. These were large, highly anionic proteoglycans and were completely digested by chondroitinase AC or ABC. Moreover, glycosaminoglycan extracted from Kurloff cells had the electrophoretic mobility of control chondroitin sulphate.