The effect of chondroitin-sulfate and hyaluronic acid on glycosaminoglycan and collagen synthesis and secretion by cultured arterial endothelial cells.

The effect of the addition of chondroitin-sulfate or hyaluronic acid to the culture medium on the glycosaminoglycan and collagen content and on the glycosaminoglycan composition of pig arterial endothelial cells and of the culture medium has been studied by biochemical and morphological methods. Both chondroitin-sulfate and hyaluronic acid were found to be transported to the interior of the cultured cells and then degraded. CSA, in addition enhanced collagen synthesis within the cells, but not the rate of excretion. Hyaluronic acid did not influence collagen formation.