Immobilization is often associated with decreased muscle elasticity. This condition is known as muscle contracture; however, the mechanism remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to clarify the mechanism governing muscle contracture in rat soleus muscle by identifying changes in ankle joint mobility, insoluble collagen concentration and type I and type III collagen isoforms following 1- ...

Type III collagen is a fibrillar forming collagen comprising three alpha1(III) chains and is expressed in early embryos and throughout embryogenesis. In the adult, type III collagen is a major component of the extracellular matrix in a variety of internal organs and skin. Mutations in the COL3A1 gene have been implicated as a cause of type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a disease leading to aortic ...

BACKGROUND The extent of renal fibrosis in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the best predictor for progression of most renal diseases. To date, no established biomarkers of renal fibrosis exist. METHODS We measured circulating and urinary-specific matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-generated collagen type I and III degradation fragments (C1M and C3M) and an N-terminal propeptide of collagen III (P...

1. Normal synovial membrane contains approximately equal proportions of two genetically distinct forms of collagen, types I and III. The proportion of these two collagens is unchanged in rheumatoid synovium but in addition a small amount of basement membrane collagen is present. Tissue culture of rheumatoid synovium confirms the synthesis of both type I and III collagens. 2. In young normal syn...

Specific antisera to collagen Types I, II and III and proteoglycan were used to investigate the distributions of these molecules in normal human intervertebral discs. Immunofluorescent staining indicated the presence of small amounts of Type III collagen located pericellularly in normal adult intervertebral discs. This finding had not been demonstrated previously by other methods. Similar speci...

When primary corneal endothelial cells were grown in polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN)-conditioned medium, a minor population of cells acquired fibroblastic morphology. Such modulated endothelial cells supported by PMN-conditioned medium grew much faster than the major nonresponding polygonal endothelial cell. Upon serial passages, the modulated endothelial cells became the dominant cell type a...

OBJECTIVE The importance of type V collagen and its relationships with other types of collagen and with vascular and epithelial apoptosis were studied in a model of chemical carcinogenesis in the mouse lung. METHODS TWO GROUPS OF MALE BALB/C MICE WERE STUDIED: a) animals that received two intraperitoneal doses of 3 g/kg urethane carcinogen (urethane group = 24); and b) animals submitted to a ...