title: Effect of induced elevated plasma levels of homocystine and methionine in rats on collagen and elastin structures.
abstract: Young growing rats were intraperitoneally injected with mixtures of homocystine and methionine for several weeks. The growth of the animals was inhibited. After 3 weeks 25% of the rats died and isolation of tail tendon collagen and aorta elastin showed that these proteins were deficient in chemical cross-links. Seventy-five % of the rats survived further injections for another 3 weeks and isolated collagen and elastin were found to be normal in cross-linking. The variability in susceptibility of these rats to homocystine-methionine treatment is discussed in relationship to human homocystinuria. It is speculated that the variability is due to variability in in vivo homocysteine levels.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis*; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004549:Elastin / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006711:Homocystine / Q000097:blood*; D006712:Homocystinuria / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000097:blood*; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D006711:Homocystine; D003094:Collagen; D004549:Elastin; D008715:Methionine