Increased collagen synthesis and cross-link formation in the skin of rats exposed to vinyl chloride monomer.
Rats treated orally with vinyl chloride (30 mg/kg) daily for 2 years developed a syndrome which included thickening of the skin. Analysis of the skin showed a 26% increase in collagen deposition per unit weight, and a corresponding 30% increase in the levels of glycosylated lysine and hydroxylysine. There was a significant increase in the amounts of the labile borohydride reducible cross-links, such as the intermolecular hydroxylysinonorleucine (+31%) and histidinomerodesmosine (+42%) as well as the intramolecular allysine aldol cross-links (+17%). These results provide evidence that fibrosis of the skin is one of the pathological consequences of exposure to vinyl chloride.
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006031:Glycosylation; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012867:Skin / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014752:Vinyl Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D014753:Vinyl Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*
D014753:Vinyl Compounds; D003094:Collagen; D014752:Vinyl Chloride