Isolation, Identification, and Quantitation of Urinary Glycosaminoglycans

Abstract

Background: Substantial amounts of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are present in the urine of healthy individuals, but the concentration in the serum is very low. This finding suggests that urinary GAGs come from the glomerulus and may reflect the turnover of GAGs in the glomerulus. Hypothesis: However, little is known about the physiologic regulation of the urinary GAGs in humans, and so investigations are needed to evaluate the effects of age and sex on urinary GAGs in normal individuals. Methods: Eighty-seven healthy subjects were included in this study. Urinary GAGs were isolated and quantified at the nanogram level by combined azure A-silver staining in agarose gels. Results: The level of urinary GAGs peaked at 10–19 years in both sexes. The proportion of chondroitin sulfate decreased with age, but the proportion of heparan sulfate increased with age. Conclusion: The total amount of GAGs and the proportions of chondroitin sulfate, heparan sulfate, and dermatan sulfate appear to change with age. Therefore, investigations in which urinary GAG is used as a parameter of glomerular GAG turnover should ensure that control groups are precisely matched for age. Changes in the proportions of each GAG may be more informative than their absolute levels.

Mechanisms in Protein O-Glycan Biosynthesis and Clinical and Molecular Aspects of Protein O-Glycan Biosynthesis Defects: A Review

“…They are released into the extracellular environment without passing the lysosomes and end up in urine having the same sugar structure as in vivo. The largest proportion of urinary GAG is chondroitin sulfate (62%-77%), whereas heparan sulfate accounts for ϳ25% and dermatan sulfate for only ϳ5% (214 ). The mucopolysaccharidoses, a group of inborn errors in GAG catabolism, can be diagnosed by measuring increased urinary GAGs.…”

In vitro anti-oxidant activity, fluorescence quenching study and structural features of carbohydrate polymers from Phyllanthus emblica

“…These include cardiovascular disease, inflammatory conditions, and neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease [3], diabetes [4] and cancer [5]. Furthermore, interest in employing anti-oxidants from natural sources to increase shelf life of foods is considerably enhanced by consumer preference for natural ingredients and concerns about the toxic effects of synthetic anti-oxidants [6].…”

Cilostazol Ameliorates Nephropathy in Type 1 Diabetic Rats Involving Improvement in Oxidative Stress and Regulation of TGF-β and NF-κB

“…9) It has been found that high glucose induces ROS and then upregulates TGF-1 and extracellular matrix (ECM) expression in glomerular mesangial cells. 10) Evidence has also shown that antioxidants can effectively inhibit high glucose induced TGF-1 and fibronectin upregulation.…”