Distributional Characteristics of Sulphated Glycosaminoglycans in Normal, Edematous Nasal Mucosa and Nasal Polyp

ABSTRACT

Sulphated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are found on the vascular endothelial surface and in the extracellular matrix in various tissue and organs, suggesting that these materials constitute a negatively charged screen restricting the movement of circulating plasma molecules. The present study was designed to elucidate the ditributional characteristics of sulphated GAGs in normal mucosa, edematous nasal mucosa and nasal polyp in order to understand their roles in the formation of the nasal polyp. Their presence in nasal mucosa was lightmicroscopically detected with the histochemical method using poly-L-lysine conjugated colloidal gold followed by silver enhancement. Sulphated GAGs in normal and edematous inferior turbinate mucosa were distributed only on the vascular endothelial surface in the superficial layer, while in the deeper layer they were found on the extracellular matrix as well as vascular endothelial surface. Their expression in normal and edematous ethmoid sinus mucosa was restricted to the glandular secretory product, but not found on the endothelial surface and subepithelial extracellular matrix. Sulphated GAGs in nasal polyp tissue are quite variable in staining intensity or distributional pattern. These results suggest that the distributional pattern of sulphated GAGs in the nasal mucosa may be regionally different and play an important roles in the regulation of the vascular permeability of nasal mucosa.