Variability in Proteoglycan Synthesis Among Six Strains of Normal Human Adult Skin Fibroblasts

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Abstract
Several parameters of proteoglycan synthesis (incorporation of precursor isotope, distribution in culture compartments, sensitivity to chondroitinase ABC and Sepharose CL-2B elution profile) were investigated for six strains of normal human adult skin fibroblasts in culture in order to determine the range of variability in these parameters that could be expected in a normal population. When proteoglycan accumulation was measured in all cultures the uptake of Na2 35SO4 expressed per 10(6) cells had a coefficient of variation ranging from 17% to 50% in different experiments. Variability was always less when expressed per mg cell protein. The coefficient of variation was lowest when isotopic incorporation per mg cell protein was expressed as a percent of total incorporation of that isotope. Replicate tests indicated that the variability could not be explained by the assay methodologies alone. The protocol followed was designed to determine whether any consistent distinctions for individual cell strains could be identified. No significant difference in any parameter could be detected between the six cell strains by two-way analysis of variance although differences between experiments were significant in several cases and cultured bovine tendon fibroblasts were significantly different for every parameter tested.