Glycosaminoglycans in the Human Cornea: Age-Related Changes
نویسندگان
چکیده
AIM To investigate possible age-related changes in glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the human cornea. The substances today called GAGs were previously referred to as mucopolysaccharides. METHODS Samples of human cornea were taken from 12 younger (age 21 ± 1.2) and 12 older (age 72 ± 1.6) male subjects. Samples were weighed, homogenized, and used for biochemical and molecular analyses. All the quantitative results were statistically analyzed. RESULTS The human cornea appears to undergo age-related changes, as evidenced by our biochemical and molecular results. The total GAG and hyaluronic acid counts were significantly higher in the younger subjects than in the older subjects. The sulfated heavy GAGs, such as chondroitin, dermatan, keratan, and heparan sulfate, were lower in the younger subjects than in the older subjects. DISCUSSION GAGs of the human cornea undergo numerous age-related changes. Their quantity is significantly altered in the elderly in comparison with younger subjects. GAGs play an important role in age-related diseases of the human cornea.
منابع مشابه
Keratoconus experimentally produced in mice using collagenase
Introduction: Keratoconus is a relatively common disease of cornea in which structural changes within the cornea cause it to thin and change to a conical shape and scar at the central portion of cornea. So far, few methods and drug treatments were introduced due to both lack of accepted animal models to induce experimental keratoconus and limitation of research in human considering ethical issu...
متن کاملAge-related changes of scleral hydration and sulfated glycosaminoglycans.
Human scleras were analyzed to determine if tissue hydration changed in an age-related fashion, and whether this change could be related to decreased levels of glycosaminoglycans. The anterior half of normal human scleras were examined with donor ages ranging from newborn to 99 years (n = 40). Tissue hydration was found to decrease by 1.06% per decade (P = 0.0012). Glycosaminoglycans were extra...
متن کاملAge-related changes in populations of aortic glycosaminoglycans: species with low affinity for plasma low-density lipoproteins, and not species with high affinity, are preferentially affected.
Glycosaminoglycans were extracted from the intima and media layers of normal human thoracic aortas from donors of different ages. The arterial segments were devoid of macroscopically visible lesions obtained from patients who had no clinically evident cardiovascular disease. Total glycosaminoglycan content increases during the first 40 years of life. Changes in the content of hyaluronic acid an...
متن کاملAge-related differences in the elasticity of the human cornea.
PURPOSE The goal of this study was to determine age-related variation in the elasticity of the human cornea using nondestructive means. METHODS Organ cultured human corneoscleral buttons were studied. Changes in strain were measured with a radial shearing speckle pattern interferometer after an increase in intraocular pressure from 15.0 to 15.5 mm Hg. Changes in central corneal displacement w...
متن کامل4124 Identification of glycosaminoglycans in age-related macular deposits
We investigated the presence and localization of glycosaminoglycans in basal laminar deposit and drusen in age-related maculopathy. Conventional histological staining techniques and monoclonal antibodies specific for several glycosaminoglycans were used on paraffin-embedded human maculae. Furthermore, macular homogenates were analyzed with two-dimensional electrophoresis. Quantitative analysis ...
متن کامل