Chondroitin sulfate isomers in normal human urine

1. 1. Enzymic analysis of urinary chondroitin sulfate isomers in normal subjects was carried out on the basis of unsaturated disaccharide subunits produced by the digestion of urinary chondroitin sulfates with chondroitinases and chondrosulfatases. 2. 2. By paper chromatographic and electrophoretic separations, four unsaturated disaccharides were detected as the products of degradation of urinary chondroitin sulfate isomers with chondroitinases. 3. 3. Minor constituents of unsaturated nonsulfated disaccharide and unsaturated di-sulfated disaccharide were demonstrated in addition to the major components of unsaturated 4-sulfated and 6-sulfated disaccharides in normal human urine. This finding indicates that nosulfated and/or undersulfated chondroitin sulfate, as well as oversulfated chondroitin sulfate, are present in normal urine. The distribution of the unsaturated disaccharides fractioned by NaCl elution from Dowex columns reflected the diverse spectrum of urinary chondroitin sulfate isomers.