Turnover of hyaluronan in the microcirculation.

Hyaluronan in skin, lung, and intestine turns over within a few days and catabolism takes place locally in the tissues, in local lymph nodes, and in the liver. Hyaluronan will affect microcirculatory exchange through its influence on interstitial volume exclusion, hydraulic conductivity, and diffusivity of macromolecules. Prolonged increase in interstitial fluid flux in intestine has been shown to reduce the hyaluronan content, which in turn increases hydraulic conductivity and diffusivity of macromolecules.