Synovial fluid polysaccharide

More complex polysaccharides play important roles in connective tissues and elsewhere. For example, hyaluronic acid is universally present in connective tissues of animals, as well as in their vitreous and synovial fluids. It helps to provide the fluids present in joints with shock-absorbing and lubricating properties. Unlike cellulose, chitin, starch, and glycogen, hyaluronic acid contains two different monomers glucose and N-acetylglucosamine alternate in the structure. Thus, hyaluronic acid is a regular alternating copolymer ABABABA —... 

Viscosupplementation is a clinical procedure that is being used increasingly in the treatment of osteoarthritis. This technique uses a substance known as hyaluronan to restore the lubricating properties of synovial fluid in osteoarthritic joints.6,41 Hyaluronan is a polysaccharide that can be injected into an arthritic joint to help restore the normal viscosity of the synovial fluid.6 This treatment helps reduce joint stresses, thus limiting the progression of articular destruction seen in osteoarthritis.106 Viscosupplementation has therefore been shown to reduce pain and improve function in osteoarthritis.1,95... 

Viscosupplementation Injection of a polysaccharide (hyaluronin) into osteoarthritic joints to help restore the viscosity of synovial fluid. 

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring polysaccharide that is widely distributed in body tissues and intracellular fluids, including the aqueous and vitreous humour, synovial fluid, and in the ground substance that surrounds cells (1). It is a high-molecular weight substance originally developed for use as a vitreous replacement. Although 98% of the product consists of water, it is very viscoelastic. 

Hyaluronic acid consists of repeating disaccharides of /3-D-glucopyranosyluronic acid-(l— 3)-iV-acetyl-D-galactosamine linked p- l 4) to the next disaccharide. This proteoglycan can have between 500 and 50,000 residues per chain [92]. Hyuronic acid is found widely distributed in mammalian cells and tissues, where it is found in synovial fluid that lubricates the joints, in the vitreous humor of the eye, and in connective tissue, such as the umbilical cord, the dermis, and the arterial wall. It also occurs as a capsular polysaccharide around certain bacteria, such as pathogenic streptococci [92]. 

NMR is not only applicable to the solutions of the isolated polysaccharide, but also can be used for the study of human body fluids, e.g., the synovial fluids from patients suffering from RA [246] Subsequent to y-irradiation, increased peak intensities of the A-acetyl groups of HA (at about 2.04 ppm) could be clearly monitored [247]. Concomitantly, the intensity of another peak at 8.44 ppm increased. This resonance is stemming from formate and represents another important (low molecular) degradation product of HA in the synovial fluid. It is one of the major advantages of NMR that both high and low molar mass compounds can be simultaneously detected. Of course, NMR offers also the additional advantage that even completely unexpected metabolites can be monitored [248]. 

Sodium hyaluronate, or HA, is a biocompatible polysaccharide that is encountered in medicine and the cosmetics industry. Its macroscopic properties are highly sensitive to its hydration level, which is the reason why it has been the object of many studies. When in its dried state, or scarcely hydrated, it is stiff. In this state it may act as a skin-stiffening agent, smoothing wrinkles for instance. When highly hydrated, it acts as a lubricant that is found in synovial fluid. The elucidation of its hydration mechanism has shown us the role of the developing H-bond network in the change of its properties and, at the same time, the power and sensitivity of IR spectrometry to observe water molecules in macromolecules. 

Polysaccharide Polymerized sugar molecules found in tissues as lubricant (synovial fluid) or cement (between osteons, tooth root attachment) or complexed with proteins such as glycoproteins or... 

The other major component of an articular joint is synovial fluid, named by Paracelsus after synovia (egg-white). It is essentially a dialysate of blood plasma with added hyaluronic acid. Synovial fluid contains complex proteins, polysaccharides, and other compounds. Its chief constituent is water (approximately 85%). Synovial fluid functions as a joint lubricant, nutrient for cartilage, and carrier for waste products. 

Glycosaminoglycans, solubilized from articular cartilage and synovial fluid by proteolysis, have been separated by electrophoresis, allowing microgram quantities of individual polysaccharides to be detected. i e electrophoretic separation of glycosaminoglycans in cationic media may not represent a normal electrophoresis but has more in common with phenomena that are associated with electrofocusing techniques. Caution in interpreting data from this and similar electrophoretic techniques has ben advocated. ... 

Hyaluronic acid was first isolated by Karl Meyer from vitreous humor (30) and later from umbilical cord, synovial fluid, skin, cock s comb, certain fowl tumors, groups A and C hemolytic streptococci, and other sources 31). Historically, it has been a major and frequent if not universal component of Levene s so-called mucoitin sulfates. The polysaccharide acts in animal tissue presumably as an integral part of the gel-like ground substance of connective tissue (and other tissues). Another important function of hyaluronic acid in animals is serving as a lubricant and shock ab-sorbant in the joints. 

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