In this report, we have shown that the standard laboratory diet administered to Psammomys obesus (sand rat) from Beni Abbes in Algeria, induced a non-insulin dependent diabetes, characterised by increase of body weight (p<0.001) as well as hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. In cultured aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC) of sand rats, type I and type III collagen biosynthesi...

Chick embryo sternal chondrocytes from the caudal and cephalic regions were cultured within type I collagen gels and type I collagen/proteoglycan aggregate composite gels in normal serum. Caudal region chondrocytes were also cultured within type I collagen gels in the presence of fibronectin-depleted serum. There was a marked stimulation of type X collagen synthesis by the caudal region chondro...

Transforming growth factor-beta, a potent modulator of cell function, induces fibroblasts cultured on plastic to increase collagen synthesis. In 5- and 7-day porcine skin wounds, which have minimal to moderate collagen matrix, respectively, transforming growth factor-beta and type I procollagen were coordinately expressed throughout the granulation tissue. However, in 10-day collagen-rich granu...

Soluble fibronectin is found in body fluids and media of adherent cultured cells and binds to fibrin and collagen. Insoluble fibronectin is found in tissue stroma and in extracellular matrices of cultured cells. Fibronectin is a substrate for Factor XIIIa (plasma transglutaminase) and can be cross-linked by Factor XIIIa to itself and the the alpha-chain of fibrin. We used sodium dodecyl sulfate...

Type I collagen (COL-1) is the prevailing component of the extracellular matrix in a number of tissues including skin, ligament, cartilage, bone, and dentin. It is the most widely used tissue-derived natural polymer. Currently, mammalian animals, including pig, cow, and rat, are the three major sources for purification of COL-1. To reduce the risk of zoonotic infectious diseases transmission, m...