Rapid determination of dry weight in human dental pulp by a colorimetric reaction

This study was designed to assess total carbohydrate (TC) concentration, as well as the noncollagenous protein content, in human dental pulp. Pulps we re obtained from eight premolars (13.10 +/- 4.33 mg weight, mean +/- SD) an d homogenized in saline solution. TC content was as follows: 16.68 +/- 9.49 mu g/mg of tissue (mean +/- SD); 3.22 +/- 1.69 ng of TC/mg protein (mean /- SD); and 16.23 +/- 6.80 mu g of TC/mg total organic material (mean +/- S D). The high concentration of carbohydrates observed in the pulp is a resul t of the presence of glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans (chondroitin-6-sulfa te, heparan sulfate, hyaluronic acid, and dermatan sulfate), and proteoglyc ans, whose structural, biochemical, and physiological functions have been w ell documented. Dry weight determination using dichromate solution was used because it shows less dispersion than when the data on carbohydrates and p roteins are expressed as wet weight.