| Glucosamine (GlcN), a naturally occurring amino-sugar, is a popular natural supplement for those suffering from osteoarthritis. It has been proposed that GlcN provides substrate for complex carbohydrates, required for repair of damaged cartilage. However its therapeutic value is offset by its rapid metabolism. Therefore, N-acylated derivatives of GlcN have been developed by this lab in order to study their metabolism and effects on gene expression. The compounds tested for the work in this thesis were: glucose (Glc), GlcN.HCl, N-acetyl GlcN (GlcNAc) and N-butyryl GlcN, (GlcNBu).; The project objectives are two-fold: Firstly, to examine the metabolic effects of GlcN and the N-acyl GlcN derivatives on chondrocyte proliferation and on newly synthesized proteoglycans (PG). Secondly, to examine the differential gene expression of the addition of GlcN and its N-acyl derivatives on human chondrocyte cultures.; From the cDNA microarray data, the glycohydrolase family member, HC gp39, was identified as a gene of interest. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
