Abstract
1. The hyaluronate of synovial fluid is an acidic linear polymer which can effectively resist the diffusion of other macromolecules into its domain. Gelatin was used as an experimental model for hyaluronate, to investigate its effect upon the diffusion of protein-polysaccharides from cartilage slices.
2. The concentration of protein-polysaccilaride in the extracting medium was quantitated by uronic acid estimation and liquid scintillation spectrometry of 35sulphate-labelled proteinpolysaccharide.
3. Concentrations of gelatin in excess of 20 per cent (W/v) significantly retarded diffusion of protein-polysaccharides out of cartilage slices, but evidently not the movement of these molecules within cartilage.
4. It is suggested that disaggregation of both the protein-polysaecharide molecules of cartilage and the hyaluronate of synovial fluid contribute to cartilage breakdown.
