Abstract
IN 1955, Shetlar and Masters1 demonstrated a change with age in the composition of acid mucopolysaccharides of human cartilage. They found that both uronic acid and hexosamine decreased with age but the decrease in hexosamine was less striking, indicating a relative increase in some hexosamine-containing polysaccharide. Further evidence for a shift in the relative proportions of acid mucopolysaccharides in ageing cartilage was provided by Kuhn and Leppelmann2, who reported a decrease in the ratio of galactosamine to glucosamine. Recently, Kaplan and Meyer3 observed that the content of chondroitinsulphuric acid in human cartilage decreased and that of keratosulphate increased with age. On the basis of an increasing glucosamine to galactosamine ratio, Hallén4 concluded that the ratio of keratosulphate to chondroitinsulphuric acid in human nucleus pulposus increased with age. A difference in the distribution of mucopolysaccharides between embryonic and mature pig skin was reported by Loewi and Meyer5. They found that hyaluronic acid comprised 78 per cent of the total skin mucopolysaccharides in the embryo and only 30 per cent in the adult, whereas chondroitinsulphuric acid-B represented 5–12 per cent in embryonic skin and 64 per cent of total mucopolysaccharides in adult skin.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Shetlar, M. R., and Masters, Y. F., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 90, 31 (1955).
Kuhn, R., and Leppelmann, H. J., Liebigs Ann. Chem., 611, 254 (1958).
Kaplan, D., and Meyer, K., Nature, 183, 1267 (1959).
Hallén, A., Acta Chem. Scand., 12, 1869 (1958).
Loewi, G., and Meyer, K., Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 27, 453 (1958).
Schiller, S., Mathews, M. B., Jefferson, H., Ludowieg, J., and Dorfman, A., J. Mol. Chem., 211, 717 (1954).
Korn, E. D., J. Biol. Chem., 234, 1325 (1959).
Dische, Z., J. Biol. Chem., 167, 189 (1947).
Stoffyn, P. J., and Jeanloz, R. W., Arch. Biochem. Biophys., 52, 373 (1954).
Monkhouse, F. C., MacKneson, R. G., and Bambers, G., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 95, 489 (1957).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
SCHILLER, S., DORFMAN, A. Effect of Age on the Heparin Content of Rat Skin. Nature 185, 111–112 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1038/185111a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/185111a0
This article is cited by
-
Age and sex differences in mast cell count and histamine content
Agents and Actions (1970)
-
Pr�fung der Festigkeitseigenschaften von Rattenhaut in Abh�ngigkeit von Lebensalter und Geschlecht
Archiv f�r Klinische und Experimentelle Dermatologie (1970)
-
Die Haut als ionotrope Symplexmembran
Kolloid-Zeitschrift & Zeitschrift für Polymere (1968)
-
Correlation of Tissue Mucopolysaccharides with the Hair Cycle**From the Research Laboratories of the Dermatologie Clinic of University of Genoa Medical School, Genoa, Italy.
Journal of Investigative Dermatology (1967)
-
The Quantitative Behavior of Cutaneous Histamine and Mast Cells in the Hair Cycles of Rats**From the Research Laboratories of the Dermatologie Clinic of the University of Genoa, Medical School, Genoa, Italy.
Journal of Investigative Dermatology (1966)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.