chondroitin-sulfates and Swine-Diseases

Modern pigs grow fast but are highly susceptible to degenerative joint abnormalities, including osteochondrosis. Normal and osteochondrotic humeri and femurs were obtained from five normal and ten lame adolescent boars to study cartilage proteoglycans. Histological examination of joints indicated a locally-reduced intensity of proteoglycan staining by safranin-O in lesion areas of cartilage. Cartilage proteoglycans extracted with 4.0 M guanidinium chloride were studied using Sepharose 2B gel chromatography. The proteoglycans from severely osteochondrotic joints were less (P less than 0.05) aggregated and contained a greater (P less than 0.05) proportion of smaller monomers than those from normal joints. Loss or damage of core protein, including its hyaluronic acid-binding regions, may account for the greater proportion of small monomers. The results also indicated that the proportion of hyaluronic acid in the total glycosaminoglycan uronic acid fraction, estimated by Sephadex G-200 chromatography and cellulose acetate electrophoresis, was lower (P less than 0.05) for the extracted proteoglycans than for the residual or the whole cartilage proteoglycans in all joints studied.

Topics: Animals; Cartilage, Articular; Chondroitin Sulfates; Chromatography, Gel; Electrophoresis, Cellulose Acetate; Glycosaminoglycans; Hyaluronic Acid; Lameness, Animal; Male; Osteochondritis; Proteoglycans; Swine; Swine Diseases

Twenty eight nonlame and ten lame pigs were used to study glycosaminoglycans in synovial fluid from normal and osteochondrotic elbow and stifle joints. The results indicated that porcine synovial fluid contains both hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate and that the chondroitin sulfate to hyaluronic acid ratio is similar (P less than 0.05) between normal and osteochondrotic joints.

Topics: Animals; Chondroitin; Chondroitin Sulfates; Elbow; Glycosaminoglycans; Hyaluronic Acid; Lameness, Animal; Osteochondritis; Stifle; Swine; Swine Diseases; Synovial Fluid

Normal and osteochondrotic femurs and humeri were obtained from five normal and 15 lame adolescent boars to study the molecular size of joint cartilage chondroitin sulfate. Histological examination of cartilage showed a locally reduced intensity of safranin-O staining in fractured areas. Sephadex G-200 chromatography of cartilage glycosaminoglycans revealed a reduction (P less than 0.01) in the average hydrodynamic size of chondroitin sulfate in only the separated cartilage from severely damaged medial humeral condyles. Chromatography also suggested an accumulation of fragmented chondroitin sulfate chains in this cartilage. There were no other appreciable differences in the hydrodynamic size of chondroitin sulfate from normal and osteochondrotic joint cartilage.

Topics: Animals; Cartilage, Articular; Chondroitin; Chondroitin Sulfates; Chromatography, Gel; Femur; Glycosaminoglycans; Humerus; Lameness, Animal; Male; Molecular Weight; Osteochondritis; Swine; Swine Diseases