Differences in the constitution and distribution of acidic glycosaminoglycans in the intimal and adventitial layers of bovine aorta.

Differences in the constitution of acidic glycosaminoglycans (AGAG) in the intimal layer and in the adventitia of bovine aorta were demonstrated by means of enzymatic assay and electrophoretic characterization after fractionation by ion-exchange chromatography and by gel filtration. The data obtained after ion-exchange chromatography indicated that chondroitin 4-sulfate and chondroitin 6-sulfate were the predominant constituents in the intima, whereas hyaluronic acid, dermatan sulfate, oversulfated dermatan sulfate, and heparan sulfates and a related glucosaminoglycan were the predominant constituents in the adventitia. The molecular weight dependent distribution of the aortic AGAG by gel filtration indicated that hyaluronic acid was prevalent in the high molecular weight fractions from both layers whereas chondroitin, heparan sulfates and the related glucosaminoglycan were present in the low molecular weight fraction, especially in adventitial AGAG. Chondroitin sulfate isomers, dermatan sulfate and oversulfated dermatan sulfate were distributed almost equally in all fractions, but the proportions were different in the two layers.