Glycosaminoglycans in Experimental Amyloidosis

Abstract

Acid mucopolysaccharides were studied in casein-induced amyloidosis in mice. Mucopolysaccharides were isolated and quantitated from 4 organs: spleen, liver, kidney and heart. Heparan sulfate largely accounted for the increased content of mucopolysaccharides in all the tissues involved in amyloidosis, with changes quite similar to secondary amyloidosis in man. Experimental amyloidosis in mice is a reproducible model that is very useful in studying metabolic and pathogenetic aspects of a form of human amyloidosis.