CHANGES IN ACID MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDE IN LIVER IN HEPATIC FIBROSIS

Changes in hepatic acid mucopolysac-charides were examined by testicular hyaluronidase digestion and hexos-amine analysis of the acid mucopolysaccharides extracted from rat livers having chronic hepatic damage caused by serial inhalation of CC14. Chronic hepatic damage gave rise to an increase of hyaluronic acid in the early stages of hepatic damage and of chondroitin sulfate B in the advanced stages, the latter being more prominent. The amount of chondroitin sulfate A and/or C also increased, but the change in its ratio to the total acid mucopolysaccharides was not significant throughout the experiment. Galactosamine-containing acid mucopolysaccharide existed in the non-sulfated fraction which increased in the early stage. Chondroitin sulfate B may be related to the progress of hepatic fibro-genesis.