Hyaluronan

ABSTRACT In reproductive medicine it is important to determine the quality of embryo development without interference in their function and viability. The surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles makes them promising candidates for optical sensing, molecular labeling and imaging applications. Furthermore unique optical properties of silver nanoparticles provide an opportunity to use them as real time analytic tools in living state especially for observation of dynamic processes in gametes and embryos. The main aim of the study was to investigate the physicochemical properties and biological activities of novel silver nanoparticles with prospect of their use for the determining the quality of embryo development. For this purpose, we investigated the optical properties of new silver nanoparticles in biological mediums during cultivation and their influence on rabbit’s embryos development in vitro. The physicochemical and biological properties of novel silver nanoparticles were compared with silver nanoparticles identical in size and shapes but with different chemical surfaces modifications by polyvinylpyrrolidone and bovine serum albumin. The results suggest that silver nanoparticles with hyaluronic acid were disintegrated with the formation of new complexes with proteins in biological mediums. This property with strong optical surface plasmon resonance of novel silver nanoparticles with hyaluronan makes them promising candidates in diagnostic area and gives reasons to explore them as biomarkers of target molecules. Nevertheless novel silver nanoparticles with hyaluronan at the concentrations of 0.1-1 μg/ml have no toxic effect on rabbit’s embryos development and can be successfully applied in reproductive medicine. © (2013) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Leech hyaluronidase has been purified. It is specific for hyaluronic acid as its substrate, in sharp contrast to lack of specficity for mucopolysaccharides exhibited by mammalian testicular hyaluronidase. Leech hyaluronidase has excellent thermostability: At 50 C it loses no activity for 40 min and retains significant activity after several hours. At 60 C it loses only 25% of its activity after incubation for 5 min. Possible medical use for treatment of eye disorders and as an adjunct to cutaneously injected drugs.

Tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) is a hyaluronan (HA)-binding protein that plays important roles in inflammation and ovulation. TSG-6 mediated cross-linking of HA has been proposed as a functional mechanism (e.g. for regulating leukocyte adhesion), but direct evidence for cross-linking is lacking, and we know very little about its impact on HA ultrastructure. Here we used films of polymeric and oligomeric HA chains, end-grafted to a solid support, and a combination of surface-sensitive biophysical techniques, to quantify the binding of TSG-6 into HA films, and to correlate binding to morphological changes. We find that full length TSG-6 binds with pronounced positive cooperativity, and demonstrate that it can cross-link HA at physiologically relevant concentrations. Our data indicates that cooperative binding of full length TSG-6 arises from HA-induced protein oligomerization, and that the TSG-6 oligomers act as cross-linkers. In contrast, the HA-binding domain of TSG-6 (the Link module) alone binds without positive cooperativity, and weaker than the full-length protein. Both Link module and full length TSG-6 condensed and rigidified HA films, and the degree of condensation scaled with the affinity between the TSG-6 constructs and HA. We propose that condensation is the result of protein-mediated HA cross-linking. Our findings firmly establish that TSG-6 is a potent HA cross-linking agent and might hence have important implications for the mechanistic understanding of the biological function of TSG-6, e.g. in inflammation.

THE IMPACT OF HYALURONAN ON THE IN VITRO INVASIVE PROPERTIES OF HUMAN BREAST CANCER CELL LINES WITH HIGH CD44 EXPRESSION Andrea Herrera-Gayol'and Serge Jothy2• 'Department of Pathology, McGill University, 3775 University St. Montreal. ...

The lubrication mechanism in synovial fluid and joints is not yet fully understood. Nevertheless, intermolecular interactions between various neutral and ionic species including large macromolecular systems and simple inorganic ions are the key to understanding the excellent lubrication performance. An important tool for characterizing the intermolecular forces and their structural consequences is molecular dynamics. Albumin is one of the major components in synovial fluid. Its electrostatic properties, including the ability to form molecular complexes, are closely related to pH, solvation, and the presence of ions. In the context of synovial fluid, it is relevant to describe the possible interactions between albumin and hyaluronate, taking into account solution composition effects. In this study, the influence of Na+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ ions on human serum albumin–hyaluronan interactions were examined using molecular dynamics tools. It was established that the presence of divalent cations, and especially Ca2+, contributes mostly to the increase of the affinity between hyaluronan and albumin, which is associated with charge compensation in negatively charged hyaluronan and albumin. Furthermore, the most probable binding sites were structurally and energetically characterized. The indicated moieties exhibit a locally positive charge which enables hyaluronate binding (direct and water mediated).

Hyaluronan (HA) is a unique nonsulfated glycosaminoglycan that contributes to breast cancer cells growth and functional properties, including cell migration, invasion, adhesion, as well as tumor-associated angiogenesis in different stages of breast cancer progression and especially metastasis. Latest data show that the levels of HA and/or low molecular mass HA in blood serum and plasma of breast cancer patients may be a useful biomar-ker for breast cancer prognosis, differential diagnosis, and patients' treatment monitoring. Therefore, the qualitative and quantitative determination of HA in biological samples is an emerging area of research. This review gathers, categorizes, and sums up all the currently used methodologies to analyze HA and HA-related enzymes. The advantages, disadvantages, limitations in use, and the information they provide, are critically considered and discussed. Moreover, emphasis is given to the significance of HA determination in breast cancer, as well as of its related enzymes, for diagnosis and prognosis of this type of cancer.

CD44 is a transmembrane receptor for the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan, a component of the extra-cellular matrix. CD44 is expressed by neural stem/progenitor cells, astrocytes, and some neurons but its function in the central nervous system is unknown. To determine the role of CD44 in brain function, we behaviorally analyzed CD44-null (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. KO mice showed increased activity levels in the light-dark test and a trend toward increased activity in the open field. In addition, KO mice showed impaired hippocampus-dependent spatial memory retention in the probe trial following the first hidden-platform training day in the Morris water maze: WT mice showed spatial memory retention and spent more time in the target quadrant than any other quadrant, while KO mice did not. Although there were no genotype differences in swim speeds during the water maze training sessions with the visible or hidden platform, sensorimotor impairments were seen in other behavioral tests. In the inclined screen and balance beam tests, KO mice moved less than WT mice. In the wire hang test, KO mice also fell off of the wire faster than WT mice. In contrast, there was no genotype difference when emotional learning and memory were assessed in the passive avoidance test. These data support an important role for CD44 in locomotor and sensorimotor functions, and in spatial memory retention.