STUDIES ON INTESTINAL AND MUSCLE PROTEIN-BOUND CARBOBYDRATE COMPONENTS IN EXPERIMENTAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA-EFFECT OF ANNAPAVALASINDHOORAM AN INDIGENOUS DRUG FORMULATION.

Abstract

The changes in the protein-bound carbohydrate (PBC) components including glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) play an important role in atherosclerotic degeneration. In the present study, the variation in PBC and GAGs in serum and in tissues—small intestine and skeletal muscle of normal, therosclerotic and Annapavalasindhooram (APS)-treated animals have been taken into consideration. The level of PBC components, mainly hexose, hexoseamine, sialic acid and hexuronic acid, generally increase in atheroscicrotk condition. During atherosclerosis, a very mild increase in hyaluronic acid (HA) and heparan sulphate (HS) and a decrease in chondroitin sulphates A, C, B (C, A, C, C, C a B) and ; sulphated GAG/nonsulphated GAG ratio is observed. The treatment of hypettholesterolemic animals with AN brings some of the PBC components and GAG fraction to near normal. This leads to suggestion that AN may lower lipid level in atherosclerotic animals as reported earlier by altering PBC components which play an important role in the genesis of atherosclerosis.