Enzymatic Methods for the Determination of Small Quantities of Isomeric Chondroitin Sulfates

Micromethods have been developed for the measurement of as little as 3 µg of chondroitin sulfate A, B, or C in mixtures with other mucopolysaccharides by the use of chondroitinase-ABC, chondroitinase-AC, chondro-4-sulfatase, and chondro-6-sulfatase. With these methods, 35S-labeled chondroitin sulfates A, B, and C in a given mixture have been precisely and rapidly determined by measuring radioactivity alone. The methods have also been utilized to determine chondroitin sulfates A, B, and C in as little as 4 ml of normal urine.