Regional distribution of acid mucopolysaccharides in the kidney.

Kidneys from 20 dogs were dissected into cortical and medullary components and analysed for acid mucopolysaccharide content. Heparitin sulfate accounted for approximately 80% of cortical acid mucopolysaccharide, 10% was chondroitin sulfate B, and 10% was low molecular weight hyaluronic acid. Medullary tissue exhibited a 4- to 5-fold higher concentration of acid mucopolysaccharide than did cortical tissue, and the dominant compound was moderately highly polymerized hyaluronic acid. While chondroitin sulfates A and (or) C were not detected in this study, the presence of minor amounts of these substances could not be excluded. A model experiment indicated that hyaluronic acid retards sodium diffusion, apparently due to its viscous properties rather than its electronegativity.