Composition of acidic glycoconjugates (glycosaminoglycans and glycoprotein) in myometrium of rabbit uterus under estrogenic condition.

Acidic glycoconjugates (glycosaminoglycans and glycoprotein) were obtained, from myometrium of ovariectomized rabbit under estrogenic condition, by pronase digestion, fractionation with cetylpyridinium chloride and Dowex I column chromatography, in succession. Composition of acidic glycoconjugates was determined enzymatically, employing Streptomyces hyaluronidase, chondroitinase AC II, chondroitinase ABC and crude heparinase. Each glycoconjugate was distributed in 3 approximately 8 fractions obtained by Dowex I column chromatography, indicating its charge and/or molecular heterogeneity. Acidic glycoconjugates consisted of hyaluronic acid (13.4%), chondroitin sulfates A plus C (39.4%), dermatan sulfate (24.6%), heparan sulfate (18.7%) and acidic glycoprotein (most probably sialoglycoprotein) (3.9%). Composition of acidic glycoconjugates in myometrium differed remarkably from that in whole uterus. Myometrium was abundant in chondroitin sulfate isomers (chondroitin sulfates A plus C plus dermatan sulfate), but lacked sulfated glycoprotein. The present results suggested that myometrium and endometrium of uterus may play quite different roles in reproduction.