Composition and pharmacological activity of chondroitin sulfate obtained from reindeer trachea

Abstract

Chondroitin sulfates are important natural polysaccharides widely occurring in animal tissues in the form of salts or neutral complexes with collagen and other proteins [1]. The interest in this class of carbohydrates is currently increasing because preparations based on chondroitin sulfates have been successfully used for the therapy of some diseases. For example, Russian drug chonsurid is used for the treatment of slowl-healing operative wounds, trophic ulcers, and extremivy varicosis [2]. Chondroitin sulfate based preparations are also used in the therapy of rheumatic diseases [2], in the manufacture of contact lenses [3] and artificial blood vessels [4], and for the production of bandages of the "synthetic leather" type [5]. Finally, chondroitin sulfates are the main components in some medicinal cosmetic preparations [6].Quite readily available and comparatively cheap raw materials obtained from animals for the production of chondroitin sulfates are factors stimulating the activity of research. At present, raw materials of animal orig-in (mostly from bovine trachea) are still the main sources of chondroitin sulfates. In order to meet the needs in chondroitin sulfate preparations, it is necessary to extend the circle of raw material sources so as to produce ehondroitin sulfates in appropriate amounts and intensify research aimed at the creation of new preparations with combined action.One possible source of chondroitin sulfates is the trachea of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), which are currently not utilized. Unfortunately, neither chemical structure not the phar-macolo~cal activity of ehondroitin sulfates obtained from reindeer trachea were reported in the literature. The purpose of this work was to fill this gap. EXPERIMENTAL CHEMICAL PARTThe IR spectra were measured on a UR-20 spectrophotometer using samples dissolved in D20. The specific op-77 tical rotation was studied with a Perkin-Eimer Model 141 polarimeter. The UV spectra of 0.5 % aqueous solutions of chondroitin sulfates obtained from reindeer and bovine materials were recorded on a Speeord M-40 spectrophotometer. The chondroitin sulfates were isolated from the trachea of both types using a conventional method described in [7]. The contents ofhexoses, ~ucuronie acid, and proteins were determined as described in [8 -10]. The expedrnents were performed using a vertical electrophoresis apparatus using 0.9% agarose gel (Sigma) in 0.I M BaAc2 (pH 8.0). The IPS-600 power source was operated at a current of 80 mA and a voltage of 55 V. The reference samples was represented by chondroitin sulfates of the AC and B grade (Sigma Chemical Company) and heparin (Moscow Endocrine Plant). The gel was stained by a 1% solution of toluidine blue in 1% aqueous acetic acid.