The catabolic fate of hyaluronic acid.

Part of the hyaluronic acid (HA) synthesized in peripheral tissues enters the blood circulation through the lymph. It is rapidly taken up by the endothelial cells in the liver (half-life in blood is 2.5-5.5 minutes) and degraded. Pure primary cultures of liver endothelial cells were obtained by a newly developed technique and used to follow the metabolism of the polysaccharide on the cell surface. At 37 degrees C the HA is effectively endocytosed and degraded to acetate and lactate. A radioassay specific for HA and sensitive in the nanogram range has been developed to follow the concentration of HA in serum. The normal level in man is 10 to 100 micrograms/l. Elevated serum levels of HA are seen in liver cirrhosis, rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma indicating that both an impaired catabolism in the liver and an increased synthesis in the peripheral tissues can modify the HA level.