Glucosamine (D-Glucosamine)

What is the current status of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis?

Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate exert beneficial effects on the metabolism of in vitro models of cells derived from synovial joints: chondrocytes, synoviocytes and cells from subchondral bone, all of which are involved in osteoarthritis (OA). They increase type II collagen and proteoglycan synthesis in human articular chondrocytes and are able to reduce the production of some pro-inflammatory mediators and proteases, to reduce the cellular death process, and improve the anabolic/catabolic balance of the extracellular cartilage matrix (ECM). Clinical trials have reported a beneficial effect of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate on pain and function. The structure-modifying effects of these compounds have been reported and analyzed in recent meta-analyses. The results for knee OA demonstrate a small but significant reduction in the rate of joint space narrowing. Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulphate are recommended by several guidelines from international societies for the management of knee and hip OA, while others do not recommend these products or recommend only under condition. This comprehensive review clarifies the role of these compounds in the therapeutic arsenal for patients with knee OA.

The effect of D-(+)-glucosamine, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and tetraethylene glycol on the stability of oxytocin in aqueous solution

The aim of the present study was to identify the effect of D-(+)-glucosamine, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, tetraethyleneglycol, and the mixture of these additives on the stability of oxytocin in phosphate and acetate buffer solutions, at pH 4.5. Our findings demonstrate that tetraethyleneglycol has a destabilizing effect on oxytocin in both phosphate buffer and acetate buffer. D-(+)-Glucosamine hydrochloride had small to negligible effect at low concentrations, yielding a slight improvement lower concentrations of the additive in the presence of the buffers used, but at higher concentrations it increased the rate of degradation. N-Acetyl-D-glucosamine showed a possibly slight improvement to the stability of oxytocin. It is hypothesized that the different effect of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine compared to D-(+)-glucosamine is a consequence of the free amine group in D-(+)-glucosamine promoting a faster degradation, while the amino group is acetylated in N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and therefore no longer reactive in the same way. While it remains unclear why tetraethyleneglycol has a destabilizing effect on oxytocin, the D-(+)-glucosamine results aid in deepening our understanding of the degradation mechanism of oxytocin.

The shape of D-glucosamine

The bioactive amino monosaccharide D-glucosamine has been generated in the gas phase via laser ablation of D-glucosamine hydrochloride. Three cyclic α-(4)C1 pyranose forms have been identified using Fourier transform microwave techniques. Stereoelectronic hyperconjugative forces - essentially linked with the anomeric or gauche effect - and cooperative OH···O, OH···N and NH···O chains, extended along the entire molecule, are found to be the main factors driving the conformational behavior. The orientation of the NH2 group within each conformer has been determined by the values of the nuclear quadrupole coupling constants. The results have been compared with those recently obtained for the archetypical D-glucose.

Efficient production of D-glucosamine by diacetylchitobiose deacetylase catalyzed deacetylation of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine

Objective: D-Glucosamine (GlcN) is an important amino sugar with various applications in medicine, food & beverages, nutritional supplements, and dairy products. This study aimed to produce GlcN from N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) with an efficient deacetylase, and apply different strategies to enhance GlcN production.
Results: We screened a series of deacetylases that involved in the deacetylation of GlcNAc to form GlcN. A diacetylchitobiose deacetylase (TKDac) from Thermococcus kodakarensis exhibited high-efficient deacetylation activity for GlcNAc, yet mostly in the form of inclusion bodies. The soluble expression of TKDac was improved by a co-expressing molecular chaperone (groEL) and TKDac, and insertion of rare codon ATA encoding isoleucine. As such, the recombinant strain TKEL4 was constructed to express TKDac, and 48 g/L GlcN was achieved by TKDac-catalyzed deacetylation. To overcome the inhibition of byproduct (acetate), immobilized TKDac was carried out to produce GlcN from GlcNAc. The immobilized TKDac was conveniently re-used for several batches (above 8) with a 90% conversion rate.
Conclusions: TKDac from T. kodakarensis was found to be an efficient deacetylase to produce GlcN. Co-expression of molecular chaperone and target protein, and insertion of rare codons were effective to improve the soluble expression of TKDac. The immobilized TKDac represents a promising method for future GlcN production.

Is there any scientific evidence for the use of glucosamine in the management of human osteoarthritis?

Glucosamine in its acetylated form is a natural constituent of some glycosaminoglycans (for example, hyaluronic acid and keratan sulfate) in the proteoglycans found in articular cartilage, intervertebral disc and synovial fluid. Glucosamine can be extracted and stabilized by chemical modification and used as a drug or a nutraceutical. It has been approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) in Europe to promote cartilage and joint health and is sold over the counter as a dietary supplement in the United States. Various formulations of glucosamine have been tested, including glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride. In vitro and in vivo studies have uncovered glucosamine's mechanisms of action on articular tissues (cartilage, synovial membrane and subchondral bone) and justified its efficacy by demonstrating structure-modifying and anti-inflammatory effects at high concentrations. However, results from clinical trials have raised many concerns. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that glucosamine is easily absorbed, but the current treatment doses (for example, 1,500 mg/day) barely reach the required therapeutic concentration in plasma and tissue. The symptomatic effect size of glucosamine varies greatly depending on the formulation used and the quality of clinical trials. Importantly, the effect size reduces when evidence is accumulated chronologically and evidence for the structure-modifying effects of glucosamine are sparse. Hence, glucosamine was at first recommended by EULAR and OARSI for the management of knee pain and structure improvement in OA patients, but not in the most recent NICE guidelines. Consequently, the published recommendations for the management of OA require revision. Glucosamine is generally safe and although there are concerns about potential allergic and salt-related side effects of some formulations, no major adverse events have been reported so far. This paper examines all the in vitro and in vivo evidence for the mechanism of action of glucosamine as well as reviews the results of clinical trials. The pharmacokinetics, side effects and differences observed with different formulations of glucosamine and combination therapies are also considered. Finally, the importance of study design and criteria of evaluation are highlighted as new compounds represent new interesting options for the management of OA.