[Metabolic study on chondroitin sulfates in rabbits]

The metabolic studies on three types of chondroitin sulfates in rabbits were performed. The analyses of chondroitin sulfates gave the following results concerning their metabolic behavior. 1) Desulfation of chondroitin sulfates on GalNAc C6 position was observed more clearly after the administration of low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate (molecular weight, 6000 and 16,000) than after that of high molecular weight one (molecular weight, 50,000). 2) The disappearance velocities of the administered low molecular weight chondroitin sulfates in the blood and those of excretion into the urine were faster than those of high molecular weight one. 3) Intact chondroitin sulfates were excreted into the urine after the administration of low molecular weight chondroitin sulfates, while chondroitin sulfates having more than 30000 molecular weight were not detected in the collected urine after the administration of high molecular weight one.