During peritoneal dialysis (PD), constant exposure of mesothelial cells to bioincompatible PD solutions results in the denudation of the mesothelial monolayer and impairment of mesothelial cell function. Hyaluronan, a major component of extracellular matrices, is synthesized by mesothelial cells and contributes to remesothelialization, maintenance of cell phenotype, and tissue remodeling and pr...

The hyaluronan production by three human malignant mesothelioma cell lines and nine primary human mesothelial cell types was determined. The mesothelioma cell lines produced only minute amounts of hyaluronan (less than 0.1 microgram/10(6) cells/48 h) whereas mesothelial cells synthesized large quantities of hyaluronan (10-72 micrograms/10(6) cells/48 h). Conditioned media from the mesothelioma ...

Hyaluronan has recently been introduced as a vehicle for topical application of drugs to the skin. We sought to determine whether hyaluronan acts solely as a hydrophilic reservoir on the surface of intact skin or might partly penetrate it. Drug-free hyaluronan gels were applied to the intact skin of hairless mice and human forearm in situ, with and without [3H] hyaluronan. [3H]hyaluronan was sh...

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal diseases to affect humans, regardless of whether patients receive multimodal therapy (including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy). This resistance to intervention is currently considered to be caused by the desmoplastic change of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in PDAC tissues, which is characterized by the accumulation of ...

Initial assembly of extracellular matrix occurs within a zone immediately adjacent to the chondrocyte cell surface termed the cell-associated or pericellular matrix. Assembly within the pericellular matrix compartment requires specific cell-matrix interactions to occur, that are mediated via membrane receptors. The focus of this study is to elucidate the mechanisms of assembly and retention of ...

In many but not all cases, malignant mesothelioma is associated with an elevated content of hyaluronan in pleural fluid. The hyaluronan-producing mesothelioma has not yet been immunohistochemically characterized; therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the immunohistochemical reactivity patterns in relation to the ability of this tumour to produce hyaluronan. Pleural fluid samples f...

Hyaluronans have been used and studied in horses and humans since the 1970s. Most hyaluronan preparations are a 1% concentration with a molecular size of anywhere between 500,000 and 6,000,000 Daltons. Hyaluronan has been shown to interact with the CD44 receptor to modulate cell proliferation, migration, and gene expression. It has also been shown to decrease proinflammatory mediators and pain-...

The covalent association of inter-alphainhibitor (IαI) derived heavy-chains (HCs) with hyaluronan was first described in synovial fluid from arthritic patients and later described as a structural and functional component of hyaluronan “cable” structures produced by many different cells and stimuli. HC-transfer has been shown to be mediated by the protein product of tumor necrosis factor – stimu...

Background: The hyaluronidases are the enzymes hydrolyze β-1, 4 glycosidic linkage of hyaluronan. Hyaluronan is a polymer consisting of a repeating disaccharide unit found in cumulus ovuforus complex, semen liquid and other tissue. Addition to hydrolyzing the hyaluronan, hyaluronidase can penetrate through the cumulus cells layer that surrounds the oocyte, thus it terms spreading factor. Moreov...

Tumor progression involves a series of complex interactions between infiltrating malignant cells and adjacent normal tissues. The cell surface receptor CD44 has been implicated as an active participant in a number of these interactions. Although assigned a variety of functions, it is the role of CD44 as a receptor for the glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan that is likely to be of most importance. The...