title: Hyaluronic acid in human articular cartilage. Age-related changes in content and size.
abstract: Total tissue content and molecular mass of hyaluronic acid was determined in papain digests of human articular cartilage using a sensitive radiosorbent assay [Laurent & Tengblad (1980) Anal. Biochem. 109, 386-394]. 1) Hyaluronic acid content increased from 0.5 microgram/mg wet wt. to 2.5 micrograms/mg wet wt. between the ages of 2.5 years and 86 years. 2) Hyaluronic acid chain size decreased from Mr 2.0 x 10(6) to 3.0 x 10(5) over the same age range. 3) There was no age-related change in the size of newly-synthesized hyaluronic acid, which was of very high molecular mass, in both immature and mature cartilage. The results are consistent with an age-related decrease in proteoglycan aggregate size and suggest that modification of the hyaluronic acid chain may take place in the extracellular matrix.
authors: Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Division of Biochemistry, Hammersmith, London, U.K.
authors: M W
authors: MW
authors: Holmes
authors: M T
authors: MT
authors: Bayliss
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Muir
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000032:analysis; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008875:Middle Aged; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D014574:Uronic Acids / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D014574:Uronic Acids; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D006909:Hydroxyproline