Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan modulates the permeability of hyaluronan-containing coats around normal human mesothelial cells

• Published in: Journal of cellular physiology Vol. 165; no. 1; p. 54
• Main Authors: Heldin, P, Suzuki, M, Teder, P, Pertoft, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.1995
• Subjects: Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Cells, Cultured; Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans - metabolism; Epithelial Cells; Epithelium - metabolism; Humans; Hyaluronic Acid - chemistry; In Vitro Techniques; Permeability
• ISSN: 0021-9541; 1097-4652
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.1041650107

The composition and permeability of the pericellular coat surrounding normal human mesothelial (NHM) cells have been studied in vitro. NHM cells were grown in the presence of 3H-glucosamine and the amount of label recovered in hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate was determined after selective enzymatic digestion of the polysaccharides in medium, pericellular, and intracellular pools. For comparison a similar analysis was carried out on mesothelioma cells (Mero-14). Of the labeled polysaccharides in the medium and pericellular pools of NHM cells about 80-90% could be ascribed to hyaluronan and only 3-5% to chondroitin sulfate. In contrast, Mero-14 synthesized only minute amounts of hyaluronan whereas chondroitin sulfate corresponded to 61% of the total glycosaminoglycans in the culture. The results exclude a structure of the pericellular layer of NHM cells similar to the hyaluronan-proteoglycan aggregates found in cartilage. The permeability of the pericellular layer was tested by the exclusion of polystyrene microspheres and bacteria of diameter 0.1-3.0 microns, as well as erythrocytes of diameter 7 microns. While the erythrocytes were excluded the smaller particles penetrated the coat. By adding 0.5 mg/ml of aggregating cartilage proteoglycan to the medium particles of 0.3 microns or larger were also excluded. Thus exogenous proteoglycans can reinforce the structure of the pericellular layer.