Nomenclature of hyaluronic acid

Abstract

Nomenclature of hyaluronic acid 'Hyaluronic acid' is the name given by Karl Meyer to a polysaccharide composed of N-acetylglucosamine and glucuronic acid. The first part of the name, 'hyal-', originates from hyaloid (vitreous), because Meyer & Palmer (1934) first found this polysaccharide in the ' vitreous humor' of the bovine eye. Subsequently, it was found in numerous prokaryote and eukaryote systems. To designate the polyanion, the term 'hyaluronate', without a corresponding cation, is used extensively in the biochemical literature. In agreement with the recommendations on 'Polysaccharide Nomenclature' (IUB-IUPAC Joint Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature, 1982/3), we suggest that the term 'hyaluronan' be used for this polysaccharide generally, irrespective of its degree of dissociation.

Hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan): a review

“…The term "hyaluronan" was introduced in 1986 to conform with the international nomenclature of polysaccharides and is attributed to Endre Balazs (Balazs et al, 1986), who coined it to encompass the different forms the molecule can take, e.g, the acid form, hyaluronic acid, and the salts, such as sodium hyaluronate, which form at physiological pH (Laurent, 1989). HA was subsequently isolated from many other sources and the physicochemical structure properties, and biological role of this polysaccharide were studied in numerous laboratories (Kreil, 1995).…”

“…HA is found primarily in the extracellular matrix and pericellular matrix, but has also been shown to occur intracellularly. The biological functions of HA include maintenance of the elastoviscosity of liquid connective tissues such as joint synovial and eye vitreous fluid, control of tissue hydration and water transport, supramolecular assembly of proteoglycans in the extracellular matrix, and numerous receptor-mediated roles in cell detachment, mitosis, migration, tumor development and metastasis, and inflammation (Balazs et al, 1986;Toole et al, 2002;Turley et al, 2002;Hascall et al, 2004). Its function in the body is, amongst other things, to bind water and to lubricate movable parts of the body, such as joints and muscles.…”

Accumulation of hyaluronan (hyaluronic acid) in myocardial interstitial tissue parallels development of transplantation edema in heart allografts in rats.

“…The early remodeling process of the matrix may be important not only for the later development ofgranulation tissue but also for the function ofthe graft. Accumulation ofthe connective tissue component hyaluronan (HA)' (hyaluronic acid or hyaluronate by older nomenclature [1]) is an early event after an inflammatory injury (2). The synthesis of HA in rejecting grafts has not previously been investigated, but a number of inflammatory mediators likely to be operative during rejection have been reported to enhance the HA synthesis by mesenchymal cells (3)(4)(5).…”

Hyaluronan viscosupplementation: state of the art and insight into the novel cooperative hybrid complexes based on high and low molecular weight HA of potential interest in osteoarthritis treatment

“…The viscous and elastic behavior of hyaluro-Hyaluronan viscosupplementation: state of the art and insight into the novel cooperative hybrid complexes based on high and low molecular weight HA of potential interest in osteoarthritis treatment Mini-review @ C I C E d i z i o n i I n t e r n a z i o n a l i nan solutions have been studied to better address the pathological treatments. The first studies of Balazs et al (12) introduced rheological parameters to compare different preparations/formulations, towards better indications of in vivo applications. In particular the visco-elastic properties of synovial fluid are described by the elastic modulus (G') and viscous modulus (G'') as a function of frequency (13).…”