Age-related changes in the composition, the molecular stoichiometry and the stability of proteoglycan aggregates extracted from human articular cartilage
The heterogeneity of the components of proteoglycan aggregates, their stoichiometry within the aggregate and the aggregates' stability was investigated in normal human articular cartilage specimens (age-range newborn to 63 years). Proteoglycans were extracted from tissue by sequentially extracting them with PBS alone, PBS containing oligosaccharides of hyaluronan, and PBS containing solutions of i