Abstract
Summary
Crude extracts of normal human prostate glands obtained after papain digestion contained 4.83±4.04 mg of hexuronic acid/g of dry tissue. Aliquots of the extracts were fractionated on columns of Dowex-1 ×2 with solutions of increasing NaCl concentrations. Electrophoresis of the chromatographic fractions showed the presence of a band migrating like hyaluronic acid (HA) in Fractions III to ×. The component of this band in Fractions III and IV A is considered to be HA because it was depolymerized by streptococcal hyaluronidase. The corresponding band in Fraction IV B to × is referred to the HA-like component because it was depolymerized by testicular hyaluronidase but not by streptococcal hyaluronidase.
Additional aliquots of the crude extracts were separated into fibrous-like (FP) and flocculent (FPS) precipitates by the addition of ethanol. FPS contained 5 times more GAG than FP. In both precipitates, dermatan sulfate was the most abundant GAG. Spectrophotometric measurements indicated the presence of protein and nucleic acid in FP and FPS.
We are indebted to Dr. Nicola Di Ferrante for his advice in the preparation of this manuscript and for the determination of sulfoaminohexose. The participation of Victor Vlahakos during the initial phase of this work is appreciated.
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