The isolation of hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulphate from kidneys and their reaction with urinary hyaluronidase

Abstract

Extracts of the cortex and the medulla of fresh kidneys from pigs, sheep and dogs were analysed for the presence of acid mucopolysaccharides. Acid mucopolysaccharides were found in the kidneys of the 3 species and were evenly distributed between cortex and medulla. The acid mucopolysaccharides isolated from either the medulla or the cortex of kidneys contained equal amounts of sulfated and non-sulfated fractions; these could be identified as chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid, respectively. Urinary hyaluronidase was isolated from urine and estimated by means of turbidity measurements. Urine hyaluronidase de-polymerizes the acid mucopolysaccharides extracted from either the cortex or the medulla of the kidneys from pig, sheep and dog. The enzymic activity of urine hyaluronidase could be expressed as units/mg of protein. The optimum pH activity of the enzyme is at about 4.0.