title: Changes in sulfated mucopolysaccharide composition of mammalian tissues during growth and in cancer tissues.
abstract: The distribution of sulfated mucopolysaccharides in different tissues during growth and in cancer tissues is reported. It is shown that most of the tissues of 1 day-old rats and rabbits contain chondroitin sulfate A/C, chondroitin sulfate B and heparan sulfate in about the same proportions, whereas in adult animals chondroitin sulfate A/C decreases in concentration or disappears. Changes in the relative proportions of chondroitin sulfate B and heparan sulfate were also observed in most of the tissues. In rats, these changes occur in the first 25 days of extrauterine development. A great increase of chondroitin sulfate A/C was observed in human tumors of different origins when compared with the normal adjacent tissues. Changes in the relative proportions of chondroitin sulfate B and heparan sulfate were also observed in most of the tumors analysed. The possible role of chondroitin sulfate A/C in cell division is discussed in view of the present findings.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002807:Chondroitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism*; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D002807:Chondroitin; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate