Factors stimulating collagen synthesis from the livers of hypercholesterolemic rats.
Hypercholesterolemia was induced in rats by feeding them a high cholesterol olive oil diet. The livers were homogenized in modified Krebs-Ringer medium and centrifuged at 35,000 x g. The supernatants from livers of both hypercholesterolemic and normal rats were found to stimulate collagen synthesis in freshly isolated embryonic chick-tendon fibroblasts. However, this was significantly greater in the supernatants from fatty livers. The stimulating principle proceed to be dialyzable, non-lipid and heat-stable. There were at least two factors involved, the more effective of which was trypsin-sensitive, with a molecular weight below 2,000. The results suggest that a mediator is formed in the livers of hypercholesterolemic rats which might be responsible for the enhanced collagen synthesis of fibrotic processes vivo, e.g., in atherosclerosis and liver cirrhosis.
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D005989:Glycerides / Q000097:blood; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology
D000596:Amino Acids; D005989:Glycerides; D010743:Phospholipids; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D003094:Collagen; D002784:Cholesterol