title: Collagen content in skin and internal organs of the tight skin mouse: an animal model of scleroderma.
abstract: The Tight Skin mouse is a genetically induced animal model of tissue fibrosis caused by a large in-frame mutation in the gene encoding fibrillin-1 (Fbn-1). We examined the influence of gender on the collagen content of tissues in C57BL/6J wild type (+/+) and mutant Tight Skin (Tsk/+) mice employing hydroxyproline assays. Tissue sections were stained with Masson's trichrome to identify collagen in situ. Adult Tsk/+ mice skin contains ~15% more collagen, on average, than skin from +/+ mice of the same gender. The heart of Tsk/+ males had significantly more collagen than that of +/+ males. No significant gender differences were found in lungs and kidney collagen content. Overall, the collagen content of Tsk/+ males and +/+ males was higher than that of their Tsk/+ and +/+ female counterparts, respectively. Our data confirm increased deposition of collagen in skin and hearts of Tsk/+ mice; however, the effects of the Tsk mutation on collagen content are both tissue specific and gender specific. These results indicate that comparative studies of collagen content between normal and Tsk/+ mice skin and internal organs must take into account gender differences caused by expression of the androgen receptor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Kimmel Cancer Center, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, 233 South 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107-5541, USA.
authors.forename: Jayanthi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manne
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Markova
authors.forename: Linda D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Siracusa
authors.forename: Sergio A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jimenez