The Acidic Glycosaminoglycans in Human Fetal Development and Adult Life: Cornea, Sclera and Skin

A comparison was made of the concentration and composition of the acidic glycosaminoglycans in human cornea, sclera and skin during five to nine months fetal development and in the adult. In skin, the concentration of the acidic glycosaminoglycans decreases gradually duringfetal development; the adult value is still less than the newborn; hyaluronic acid and dermatan sulfate are always present. In sclera, during the same period of development the concentration of the acidic glycosaminoglycans varied little; dermatan sulfate is the main component in both fetus and adult but the latter also contains some hyaluronic acid and chondroitin 4(6)-sulfate. The concentration of the acidic glycosaminoglycans in cornea increased by 33% at seven months gestation and remained constant; fetal cornea has chondroitin 4(6)-sulfate, chondroitin and a small amount of keratan sulfate (18 to 27% of the acidic glycosaminoglycans); in contrast, the adult cornea is rich in keratan sulfate (64 % of the acidic glycosaminoglycans) and contains more chondroitin and less chondroitin 4(6)-sulfate than fetal cornea. It is suggested that the organization of the collagen fibrils is functionally related to the nature of the acidic glycosaminoglycans associated with them.