PRELIMINARY CHEMICAL, BIOCHEMICAL, AND PHARMACOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A LOW-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT DERMATAN SULFATE

The aim of this study was to set up a depolymerization process which r esulted in the formation of a low molecular weight dermatan sulphate ( LMWDS), retaining the chemical properties possessed by native dermatan sulphate (DS), fundamental for the expression of its specific biologi cal activity. The depolymerization of DS by a beta elimination process led to the production of oligosaccharide chains having a 4,5 unsatura ted uronic acid at the nonreducing end. The chemical evaluation has sh own that the most important parameters (degree of sulphation, sulphate to carboxyl ratio, and specific rotation) have not undergone any part icular modification compared to native DS. The biochemical results dem onstrate that the LMWDS obtained retains most, if not all, of the spec ific biological activity. The reduction in molecular weight significan tly enhanced the bioavailability of the product after subcutaneous adm inistration.