Specific sulfated glycans bind to SDF-1 in vitro and release SDF-1 in vivo.

(A) Inhibition of SDF-1α/heparin binding by sulfated glycans. SDF-1α (100 nM) was coincubated with sulfated glycans in increasing concentrations and then injected over a heparin-activated sensorchip. CS A/B indicates chondroitin sulfates A or B; Hep, heparin. (B) Increases in SDF-1α levels (line) in mice 3 hours after one intravenous injection of 100 mg/kg FucS, (n = 8), fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (fucCS) (n = 3), or chondroitin sulfate C or A (CS C/A, n = 3 per group) were associated with increases in CFCs (bars) and WBCs (circles) as compared with untreated controls (n = 11). The error bars represent the mean ± SEM. All values compared with untreated controls were statistically significant by the Student t test for FucS (P < .000 001 for all) and fucCS (CFCs, P < .02; WBCs,P < .01; SDF-1α, P < .000 001). Ctrl indicates control mice.