Cat brain mucopolysaccharides and their in vivo hyaluronidase digestion.

The average yield of mucopolysaccharides isolated from adult cat brain was 3.29 mg, representing 0.02 per cent of the wet wt. of brain tissue. The lipid-free dried brain was approximately 10 per cent of the wet brain tissue weight. Mucopolysaccharide fraction distributions and concentration ratios are presented. Chronic administration of testicular hyaluronidase to adult cats resulted in an advanced stage of neurological impairment, a decrease in hyaluronic acid to about 40 per cent of the control value, and an even slightly greater decrease in chondroitin sulphate. With limited hyaluronidase injections, neurological impairment was milder; mucopolysaccharide concentrations after four doses of hyaluronidase decreased to approximately the same level as in chronic experimental cats.