COMPARISON OF GLYCOSAMINOGLYCANS (GAG) IN NORMAL HUMAN-PLASMA AND URINE

Endo, M., Yamamoto, R. Namiki, O., Satake, S. and Yosizawa, Z. Comparison of Glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in Normal Human Plasma and Urine. Tohoku J. exp. Med., 1979, 128 (1), p.89-99 - Glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in normal human plasma and urine were compared after fractionation by exactly same procedures, employing perchloric acid (PCA)-fractionation. phosphotungustic acid (PTA)-fractionation, and Dowex 1 (chloride form) column chromatography, in succession. The resulting fractions were then examined by electrophoresis on cellulose acetate membrane and by digestion with chondroitinases AC and ABC. Following differences were found between the fractions from plasma and urine: 1) plasma contained macromolecular GAG (proteochondroitin sulfate A and hyaluronic acid), which were absent in urine; 2) most of plasma glycoproteins (or glycopeptides) (GP) and GAG were associated with much larger peptides than the corresponding ones from urine ; 3) proportion of GP to GAG in plasma was much larger than that in urine; 4) yield (mg/liter) of each subfraction obtained by Dowex 1 column chromatography of GP and GAG from plasma was higher than that of the corresponding one from urine; 5) degree of sulfation of oversulfated chondroitin sulfate(s) in plasma was higher than that in urine. On the other hand, following similarities were observed: 1) plasma and urine contained substantially identical GAG, partially degraded chondroitin sulfate(s), as the major GAG, which were eluted with 1.25 M NaCl from Dowex 1 column; 2) corresponding subfractions from 1.25 M Fr to 2.0 M Fr obtained by Dowex 1 column chromatography from plasma and urine contained GAG giving similar or identical bands on electrophoretograms on Separax (cellulose acetate membrane), and these GAG were susceptible to chondroitinases. The present study indicates that GAG in plasma and urine are very heterogeneous. Moreover, it is suggested that two types of GAG are present in plasma, one is macromolecular GAG similar to tissue GAG, and another is partially depolymerized and desulfated GAG similar to or identical with urinary GAG. The latter may be excreted directly into urine. glycosaminoglycans; plasma glycosaminoglycans; urinary glycosaminoglycans. © 1979, Tohoku University Medical Press. All rights reserved.