The Biosynthesis of Glycosaminoglycans in Normal Rat Liver and in Response to Experimental Hepatic Injury

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Synthesis of glycosaminoglycans in slices from normal and acutely injured rat liver was studied. Rates of incorporation of 14C-glucosamine into specific types of glycosaminoglycans varied markedly; nearly 90% was incorporated into a fraction containing predominantly heparan sulfate and far less if any heparin. About 9.5% was incorporated into chondroitin 4- and 6-sulfate, and only 0.2% of the radioactivity was found in hyaluronic acid. Rate of synthesis of a fraction having several of the characteristics of keratan sulfate comprised only 0.3% of the synthesis of total glycosaminoglycans. No 14C-hexosamine was incorporated into dermatan sulfate. Following acute hepatic injury, synthesis of glycosaminoglycans was stimulated by 80-100% and the proportions of various types changed. If calculated on the basis of the specific activity of precursors of glycosaminoglycans, which was found to be strongly reduced in injured liver, maximum enhancement of total glycosaminoglycan synthesis was 6.6-fold 5 days after onset of liver injury.

This publication has 32 references indexed in Scilit: