Abstract
We histochemically examined the affinity of hyaluronan (HA) with various molecular weight in deteriorated cartilage.
HA with four molecular weights (MW) were used ; HA with a MW of 1.9×106Da, which was synthesized by Streptococcus equi, and ultrasonic-treated HA with MW of 1.5×106Da, 0.64×106Da and 0.17×106Da. Human cartilaginous tissue sections were treated with Streptomyces hyaluronidase for use as a degenerated cartilage model. These sections were reacted with HA with various MW. HA affinity was judged by using biotinylated hyaluronan binding protein, FITC-labeled HA, and Alcian blue staining.
The results revealed that the higher the MW HA, the higher the affinity to degenerated cartilage.
