title: Undersulfated chondroitin sulfate does not increase in osteoarthritic cartilage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test whether there is undersulfation of chondroitin sulfate in osteoarthritic bovine articular cartilage to support the hypothesis that sulfate deficiency is involved with the development of osteoarthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cartilage samples from bovine patellae (n = 32) were divided into 3 groups based on their osteoarthritic progression, as assessed by modified Mankin score. Uronic acid contents of the samples were determined. Fragmentation of the proteoglycans due to proteolytic processing was estimated with agarose gel electrophoresis. The molar ratios of chondroitin sulfate isoforms in the extracted proteoglycans were determined with fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Loss of proteoglycans and accumulation of tissue water was evident in groups II and III, and progressive OA increased heterogeneity of aggrecan population in groups II and III. Importantly, the molar ratio of nonsulfated disaccharide was decreased in the osteoarthritic articular cartilage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The structure of chondroitin sulfate in degenerated bovine cartilage did not support the hypothesis that sulfate depletion is present in osteoarthritic joint.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Kuopio, 70211 Kuopio, Finland. mikko.lammi@uku.fi
authors.forename: Mikko J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lammi
authors.forename: Cheng-Juan
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Mikko S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Laasanen
authors.forename: Simo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saarakkala
authors.forename: Jarno
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rieppo
authors.forename: Jukka S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jurvelin
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Töyräs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002417:Cattle; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010329:Patella; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates