EFFECTS OF THE ADDITION OF HYALURONATE SEGMENTS WITH DIFFERENT CHAIN LENGTHS ON THE VISCOELASTICITY OF HYALURONIC-ACID SOLUTIONS

The effects of the addition of sodium hyaluronate segments (sHA) with different chain lengths on the viscoelasticity of high molecular weigh t sodium hyaluronate (HA) aqueous solutions were studied. The additive effects of sHA depended on the chain length of sHA. Shorter sHA decre ased storage (G') and loss (G '') module, whereas longer sHA increased both module. In physiological saline, the effects of the addition of sHA depended on the chain length of sHA, as in aqueous solutions, exce pt that shorter segments did not decrease both moduli. The effects of the addition of monosaccharides, i.e., N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) a nd sodium glucuronate (GlcNAc), were also studied. Although GlcNAc inc reased G' and G '', GlcANa decreased both moduli. A shift factor ''A,' ' which depended on chain-length effects, a sugar effect, and a salt e ffect, was developed to explain these additive effects quantitatively. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.