Effects Of Sodium Aurothiomalate On Hyaluronic Acid Synthesis In Normal And Rheumatoid Synovial Fibroblast Cultures

Abstract
In studies with normal and rheumatoid human synovial fibroblast cultures the effects of sodium aurothiomalate on the quantity and quality of hyaluronic acid were tested. This Au compound increased the MW of hyaluronate produced by rheumatoid fibroblasts (shifted towards normal) but the effects on the amounts of hyaluronic acid synthesized were small in both rheumatoid and control cultures. The importance of this finding in relation to the known beneficial effects of Au preparations in clinical medicine is discussed.