Acidic glycosaminoglycans inhibit the uptake of tritiated thymidine by rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells in culture.

The effect of exogenous glycosaminoglycans on the growth rate of rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells in culture was studied by determinations of cell number, cell protein and the uptake of [3H]thymidine as well as its incorporation into DNA. Glycosaminoglycans did not affect the growth rate of the cells. Expect for heparin, however, all the glycosaminoglycans studied chondroitin 4-sulphate, chondroitin 6-sulphate, dermatan sulphate and hyaluronic acid interfered with the uptake of [3H]thymidine into the cells. So errors may arise if [3H]thymidine-methods alone are used when studying the growth rate of cultured cells in the presence of glycosaminoglycans.