A method for the hyaluronic acid synthetase assay in human skin

A method for the determination of hyaluronic acid synthetase activity of human skin is described. Skin samples were crush-homogenized, and incubated with UDP-14C-glucuronic acid and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine in Tris-HCl-buffer containing MgCl2. After papain digestion of the samples, the 14C-labeled hyaluronic acid was separated in Sephadex G 50 chromatography. The radioactivity incorporated into hyaluronic acid was an expression of the activity of hyaluronic acid synthetase. This activity was found to be increased in skin biopsies obtained from psoriatic lesions and decreased after local treatment with potent corticoids.