Sulfated glycosaminoglycans of periurethral tissue in pre- and postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
The objective was to determine the sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in pre- and postmenopausal women.


METHODS
Periurethral tissue was obtained from 44 consecutive women who underwent surgery for urinary incontinence, for pelvic organ prolapse, or for other gynecologic benign conditions. Biopsy specimens were assessed by biochemical methods to characterize and quantify sulfated GAG. Measurements were made of total GAG, chondroitin sulfate, dermatan sulfate and of heparan sulfate. Data were compared using the t-test.


RESULTS
Patients were divided into two groups (pre- and postmenopausal groups) and dermatan sulfate was the most predominant glycosaminoglycan. Postmenopausal women had significantly less total sulfated glycosaminoglycans (p<0.01), dermatan sulfate (p<0.01) and chondroitin sulfate (p<0.05) than premenopausal women. We did not observe any differences in heparan sulfate.


CONCLUSIONS
Postmenopausal women showed quantitative differences in the biochemical characteristics of the ECM in periurethral tissue by analysis of sulfated GAG.
Section of Urogynecology and Pelvic Surgery, Department of Gynecology, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil. pfeldner@alfa.epm.br
Paulo Cezar
PC
Feldner
Marair Gracio Ferreira
MG
Sartori
Helena B
HB
Nader
Carl P
CP
Dietrich
Geraldo
G
Rodrigues de Lima
Edmund Chada
EC
Baracat
Manoel João Batista Castello
MJ
Girão
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003871:Dermatan Sulfate / Q000378:metabolism; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000378:metabolism*; D017697:Premenopause / Q000378:metabolism*; D014521:Urethra / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates; D003871:Dermatan Sulfate; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D006497:Heparan Sulfate; C013786:A73025