Aorta, mucopolysaccharides

Histochemical methods have been used to follow changes in the acid mucopolysaccharides of human aortic tissue. Bertelsen and Jensen (1960) examined aortas from subjects up to 90 years old including some fetuses. The aortic tissue was found to contain both hyaluronic acid and sulfated mucopolysaccharides. The aortas of fetus and newborn contained 4iyalu-ronic acid as the major component. In aging the amount of sulfated polysaccharides increases up to about 50 years, especially in the media and intima, and after this time it is nearly constant. After 20 years of age, a periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) positive material is deposited in increasing amounts in the media and later in the intima. It was thought likely that the acid mucopolysaccharides are elaborated by the fibroblasts and the... 

The name dermatan sulfate has been suggested recently (J5) for the sulfated mucopolysaccharide which was originally isolated from pig skin (M14) and named chondroitin sulfate B. The presence of dermatan sulfate has also been established in tendon, heart valves, aorta, sclera, and lung parenchyma (M17). This mucopolysaccharide constitutes 64% of the acid mucopolysaccharides present in adult pig skin compared with a figure of 5-12% for the embryonic skin (L8). 

Keratan sulfate constitutes approximately half the total mucopolysaccharide fraction of bovine cornea, where it was isolated originally by Meyer et al. (M16). It occurs fairly widely in animal connective tissues, and its presence has been reported in nucleus pulposus (G2), aorta (B17), and costal cartilage (M20). Unlike the acid mucopolysaccharides described previously, keratan sulfate contains no uronic acid residue but is comprised of V-acetyl-n-glucosamine, D-galactose, and sulfate, in equimolar ratio. The small amount of L-fucose detected in acidic... 

In arteriosclerotic processes, the mucopolysaccharide spectrum changes Buddecke (B17) has demonstrated that the amounts of sulfated mucopolysaccharides are increased by 50, whereas the amounts of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin fall to 40% and 15% of their original values, respectively. The increase of sulfated mucopolysaccharides in arteriosclerotic aortae is related to the increased deposition of calcium. 

K2. Kaplan, D., and Meyer, K., Mucopolysaccharides of aorta at various ages. Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med. 105, 78-81 (I960). 

DI, Dalferes, E. R., Jr., Ruiz, H., Kumar, V., Radhakrishnamurthy, B., and Beren-son, G. S., Acid mucopolysaccharides of fatty streaks in young, human male aortas. Atherosclerosis 13, 121-131 (1971). 

M9. Marshall, L. B., Wadsworth, J. C., and Bomstein, J., The effect of growth hormone peptides on mucopolysaccharide synthesis in aorta. Proc. Aust. Bio-chem. Soc. 4, 28 (1971). 

Keratan sulfate an acidic mucopolysaccharide composed of N-acetyl-o-glucosamine 6-sulfate and D-galactose, linked alternately by P-1,3 and P-1,4 glyco-sidic bonds. K.s. is found in the cornea of the eye, in cartilage, in the aorta and in intervertebral discs. For formula, see Lysosomal storage diseases (Mucopolysaccharidoses). 

C14H21NO14S 459.384 A mucopolysaccharide composed of L-Iduronic acid, W-Acetylgalactosa-mine 4-sulfate linked(l 3) and (1 ->4) plus small amounts of D-Glucuronic acid. Polymeric. Minimum formula given. Found in skin, blood vessels, heart valves, tendons, aorta, spleen and... 

Deficiencies of silicon have not been produced in man. However, it has been found that the silicon content of the aorta, skin, and thymus decrease significantly with age this is probably related to the fact that the mucopolysaccharide (the substance that binds with water to form the thick gelatinous material which cements cells together and lubricates joints and bursas) content of body tissues also declines with aging. 

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