Pericellular heparan sulfate proteoglycans: Role in regulating the biosynthetic response of nucleus pulposus cells to osmotic loading.

Results suggest that hyper-osmotic loading promotes matrix synthesis and that modifications to HSPGs directly influence the metabolic responses of cells to osmotic fluctuations. Collectively, results suggest degeneration-associated modifications to pericellular HSPGs may contribute to the altered mechanobiology observed in disease.