Connective tissue growth stimulated by carrageenin. 2. The metabolism of sulphated polysaccharides

Abstract

New connective tissue, in a highly active metabolic state, was induced by subcutaneous injection of carrageenin in guinea pigs. The wet weight of the granulation tissue so induced increased rapidly to a maximum about the 7th day after carrageenin. There followed a rapid resorption of the new tissue and by the 6th week only a little fatty tissue remained at the injection site. Sulfate and hexosamine determinations suggest an early, rapid synthesis of polysaccharide. This was already high on the 3d day, maximal about the 5th or 6th day, and then declined rapidly to reach normal levels about the 14th day. Na235SO4 was injected intra-peritoneally on the 5th day after carrageenin and animals were killed at several intervals of time afterwards. The highest specific activity found was in a neutral salt-soluble extract at 10 hour after isotope administration. The activity of this fraction then fell rapidly with time. Sulfate extracted by papain digestion had a maximal specific activity about 30 hour after isotope administration. Loss of activity in this fraction was less rapid than in the neutral salt-soluble extract. A residual sulfate fraction had low specific activities throughout and an indefinite half-life. It is suggested that neutral salt (0.2 [image] NaCl) extract of the granuloma tissue may contain a precursor sulfated polysaccharide. The very high rate of metabolism of this neutral-salt extract parallels that of neutral salt-soluble collagen and points to a close metabolic interrelationship of these two connective-tissue components.