Abstract
The glycosaminoglycan was studied in the heart of normal human subject. The heart was separated into six different parts including the right ventricle, right atrium, tricuspidal valve, left ventricle, left atrium and mitral valve. The glycosaminoglycan preparation was made by digesting the different parts of the heart with proteolytic enzymes followed by removal of enzymes and undigested protein, and final freeze-drying of the supernatant and the content of uronic acid was determined. Both values per gram of wet and dry tissues were highest in the mitral valve and were lowest in the left ventricle. Cellulose acetate strip-electrophoresis of materials from both the tricuspidal and mitral valves in veronal buffer revealed the presence of two alcian blue positive fractions which corresponded in mobility to hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfates, respectively. In each preparation from other four parts of the heart, another component was found in the region between these two fractions which stained with alcian blue and corresponded in mobility to heparan sulfate.
