Connective mucopolysaccharides associated with

SILICON Associated with many mucopolysaccharides and may be important in the structuring of connective tissue. Excess, as in inhaling silica particles, may result in pulmonary inflammation (silicosis). 

In order to better understand the pathophysiology associated with these various forms of pulmonary edema, a review of the morphology associated with the capillary-alveolar—intestinal interlace is useful (Fig. 6). From this review it can be seen that fluid in pulmonary capillaries is separated from the alveolar interstitial tissue by the capillary endothelial cells and the capillary basement membrane (commonly called the endothelial barrier). The alveolar surface is separated from the interstitial space by the alveolar-airway barrier, which consists of the alveolar basement membrane, alveolar epithelium, and a layer of pulmonary surfactant within the alveolus. As described previously, the alveolar interstitial tissue is made up of connective tissue (elastin and collagen), fibronectin, and mucopolysaccharides. The interstitial space also contains the pulmonary lympatic system, which functions to drain proteins, large particulate matter, and excess fluid away from the tissue space and to return them to the blood. 

Ans. Zinc deficiency in experimental animals is associated with profound disorders in DNA, RNA, protein, and mucopolysaccharide (connective tissue) metabolism. 

In contrast to the neutral polysaccharides, the carbohydrate skeleton of heparin and mucopolysaccharides is based on an amino sugar uronic acid repeating unit. An important biological difference is that the neutral polysaccharides (glycogen, starch) are metabolic stores, the typical mucopolysaccharides (chondroitin sulfuric acids, keratin sulfate) are important structural materials of connective tissue, and the naturally occurring heparins and heparinoids are trace substances and appear to be associated with special cells. 

Chondroitln sulfate a water-soluble mucopolysaccharide, Mp 250,000, found in animals. Cs. A and C consist of equimolar amounts of o-glucuronic acid and IV-acetyl-n-galactosamine sulfate linked by alternating p-1,3 and p-1,4 bonds they differ in the position of the esterified sulfate (Fig.). C.s.B (dermatan sulfate) contains L-iduronic acid instead of D-glu-curonic acid (Fig.). C.ss. make up 40% of the dry weight of cartilage. They are also found in skin, tendons, umbilical cord, heart valves and other connective tissue. In vivo they are associated noncovalently with proteins. 

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