[Studies on acid glycosaminoglycans in rabbit uterine cervix and body (author's transl)]

We aimed to measure acid glycosaminoglycans (aGAG) and its composition in nonpregnant and immediately postpartum rabbits uterine cervix and body. aGAG was extracted from the uterine tissues by the modified method of K. Anno (1964) and determined by the carbazole method (Bitter, 1962). Component of aGAG were separated and identified by electrophoresis (0.3 M calcium acetate, veronal buffer, 0.1 M veronal -0.15 M ammonia water, 0.2 M ZnSO4) using acetate cellulose strips. aGAG from uterine cervix and body were separated in three bands which we considered to be hyaluronic acid, heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate. Hyaluronic acid was dominant in the cervix, on the other hand the components of aGAG without hyaluronic acid were dominant in the body. This compositional changes were also demonstrated by histochemical digestion test and metachromasia method. We considered these changes as a sign of cervical ripening at term pregnancy.