Effect of adjuvant induced arthritis on the mechanical properties and thermal behavior of skin and tendon.
In rats with adjuvant induced arthritis, the mechanical properties and thermal behavior of the skin and tendon were studied during the acute and chronic phase of the disease. Among the mechanical properties, the tensile strength and elastic modulus were found to decrease markedly both in the skin and tendon of arthritic rats while the extensibility did not show any significant change during the course of the disease. The thermal behavior, namely, shrinkage temperature, denaturation temperature, isometric tension and the temperature at isometric tension were decreased appreciably both in the skin and tendon of arthritic rats, the decrease being prominent during the chronic phase of arthritis. Both the mechanical properties and thermal behavior were correlated with biochemical parameters such as total collagen content and the ratio of the total activity of 14C-hydroxyproline of soluble collagens to insoluble collagen. The results support the concept of impaired collagen crosslinking in adjuvant induced arthritis. Prednisolone and L-thyroxine were administered to arthritic rats and the changes in the mechanical properties and thermal behavior of the skin and tendon of arthritic rats were studied. Both prednisolone and L-thyroxine increased the decreased values of tensile strength and elastic modulus of the skin and tendon in adjuvant induced arthritis. Similarly the decreased values in the thermal behavior of arthritic rats were found to be increased by treatment with prednisolone and L-thyroxine. Results indicated correlations with the beneficial action of prednisolone and L-thyroxine on the impaired collagen crosslinking in adjuvant induced arthritis.
D000818:Animals; D001168:Arthritis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis; D004548:Elasticity; D006909:Hydroxyproline / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D012867:Skin / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013696:Temperature; D013710:Tendons / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013718:Tensile Strength / Q000187:drug effects; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D003094:Collagen; D011239:Prednisolone; D013974:Thyroxine; D006909:Hydroxyproline