Abstract
The glycosaminoglycan was studied in the interventricular septum, interatrial septum, aortic valve, pulmonary valve, aorta and pulmonary artery which were excised from the human material. The glycosaminoglycan preparation was made by digesting the different parts of the heart, aorta and pulmonary artery with proteolytic enzymes followed by removal of enzymes and undigested protein, and finally freeze-drying of the supernatant. The content of uronic acid was determined on this preparation. Both values per gram of wet and dry tissues were highest in the aortic valve and were lowest in the interventricular septum. Cellulose acetate strip-electrophoresis of materials from both the aortic and pulmonary 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 two parts of the heart, aorta and pulmonary artery, another component was also found in the region between these two fractions which stained with alcian blue and corresponded in mobility to heparan sulfate.
