Hormonal effects on glycosaminoglycans in thoracic aortas of rabbits

Intima-media of thoracic aortas obtained from estrogen-treated, estrogen-progesterone-treated and sham-treated ovariectomized rabbits were separately digested with pronase after extraction of fat. Glycosaminoglycan fractions were then separated from the resulting glycoconjugate fractions by precipitation with cetylpyridinium chloride. The glycosaminoglycan levels increased after treatments with estrogen and estrogen-progesterone. Glycosaminoglycan compositions were determined by sequential digestion with Streptomyces hyaluronidase, chondroitinase AC, chondroitinase ABC and heparitinase 1. The proportions of dermatan sulfate and chondroitin sulfates AC increased after treatments with these hormones, while those of hyaluronic acid and heparan sulfate decreased. The changes of the proportions of dermatan sulfate and hyaluronic acid were dramatic. The changes of the glycosaminoglycan compositions with these hormones are thought to be an anti-atherosclerotic effect of these female hormones.