Effects of increased doses of 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 on matrix and DNA synthesis in condylar cartilage of suckling mice.

The in vivo effects of high doses of 1,25(OH)2D3 were studied in condylar cartilage of suckling mice. Seven-day-old animals were treated with 20 ng of the hormone for 7 consecutive days. Biochemical assays on collagen content and synthesis were complemented by structural studies using light and electron microscopy. Indirect immunofluorescent methods were used for the localization of type I and II collagens and for fibronectin. This study revealed that the protein content of the condyle decreased substantially following the administration of the hormone. Protein synthesis increased in hormone-treated animals during the first 4 days but was significantly inhibited thereafter. Collagen synthesis, however, was inhibited instantaneously, followed by a decrease in the percentage of cold hydroxyproline of the total protein. Hormone-treated condyles showed a marked decrease in the distribution of type I collagen, no apparent change in the distribution of type II collagen, but an enhanced reactivity for fibronectin especially around hypertrophic chondrocytes. SDS-gel electrophoresis of collagen chains suggested that the hormone did not induce a significant change in the ratios of type I and II collagen chains, yet additional peaks became evident in 1,25(OH)2D3-treated specimens. The decrease in collagen synthesis was accompanied by ultrastructural changes in the appearance of the extracellular collagen bundles. They later appeared as a dense meshwork of collagen fibrils, a feature that was lacking in control tissues. The changes in collagen fibrillogenesis could be explained by our in vitro studies indicating a marked depression of 35S-sulfate incorporation secondary to treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3. The hormone was also found to suppress the incorporation of 3H-thymidine, hence it may be concluded that 1,25(OH)2D3, when used in high concentrations, possesses an inhibitory effect upon both the proliferative activity of the cartilage progenitor cells as well as upon the metabolic activity of the condylar cells as related to collagen and glycosaminoglycans synthesis.

Dexamethasone impairs growth and collagen synthesis in condylar cartilage in vitro.

The in vitro effects of dexamethasone on condylar cartilage from normal newborn mice were tested by measuring protein and DNA content, collagen synthesis, prolyl hydroxylase activity, collagen chains and by immunofluorescence the localization of type I and II collagen and fibronectin. The biochemical assays were complemented by structural studies of hormone-treated and control cultured specimens. It became apparent that both the protein and DNA content of the tissue decreased immediately following the addition of dexamethasone of the incubation system. Protein synthesis was significantly decreased by the hormone by 24 h. The degree of collagen hydroxylation was decreased by 24 h. Dexamethasone-treated condyles did not reveal a significant increase in the percentage of cold hydroxyproline of the total protein. Using the indirect immunofluorescence method, hormone-treated condyles revealed an enhancement of positive reactivity for type I collagen and fibronectin. SDS-gel electrophoresis of 3H-labeled collagen chains isolated by CM-cellulose chromatography indicated that dexamethasone did not significantly affect the ratios of the collagen chains. For further characterization, each chain was subjected to cyanogen bromide cleavage showing that the peptide maps of alpha 1(I) and alpha 1(II) chains were not different in dexamethasone-treated tissues in comparison to controls.

Effect of short-term physical stress on DNA and collagen synthesis in the femur of young and old mice.

Aging of long bone in the hindleg of the mouse is accompanied by a progressive cavitation of the cortical bone along with clear atrophic structural changes characteristic of senile osteopenia. Quantitative analysis indicates that there is a nonsignificant change in the DNA content, but an increase in the protein percentage of the total bone wet weight. Bones of old animals incorporate significantly less (3H)-thymidine and markedly less (3H)-proline. This study revealed that endurance training in old animals induced a significant increase in DNA and collagen synthesis, yet the overall wet weight of the corresponding bone decreased. It thus became apparent that the femur of old animals possesses the capacity to respond to enforced training, yet the latter contains elements characteristic of a negative type of adaptation.

Analysis of collagen types synthesized by rabbit ear cartilage chondrocytes in vivo and in vitro.

This study compares the collagen types present in rabbit ear cartilage with those synthesized by dissociated chondrocytes in cell culture. The cartilage was first extracted with 4M-guanidinium chloride to remove proteoglycans. This step also extracted type I collagen. After pepsin solubilization of the residue, three additional, genetically distinct collagen types could be separated by fractional salt precipitation. On SDS (sodium dodecyl sulphate)/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis they were identified as type II collagen, (1 alpha, 2 alpha, 3 alpha) collagen and M-collagen fragments, a collagen pattern identical with that found in hyaline cartilage. Types I, II, (1 alpha, 2 alpha, 3 alpha) and M-collagen fragments represent 20, 75, 3.5, and 1% respectively of the total collagen. In frozen sections of ear cartilage, type II collagen was located by immunofluorescence staining in the extracellular matrix, whereas type I collagen was closely associated with the chondrocytes. Within 24h after release from elastic cartilage by enzymic digestion, auricular chondrocytes began to synthesize type III collagen, in addition to the above-mentioned collagens. This was shown after labelling of freshly dissociated chondrocytes with [3H]proline 1 day after plating, fractionation of the pepsin-treated collagens from medium and cell layer by NaCl precipitation, and analysis of the fractions by CM(carboxymethyl)-cellulose chromatography and SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. The 0.8 M-NaCl precipitate of cell-layer extracts consisted predominantly of type II collagen. The 0.8 M-NaCl precipitate obtained from the medium contained type I, II, and III collagen. In the supernatant of the 0.8 M-NaCl precipitation remained, both in the cell extract and medium, predominantly 1 alpha-, 2 alpha-, and 3 alpha-chains and M-collagen fragments. These results indicate that auricular chondrocytes are similar to chondrocytes from hyaline cartilage in that they produce, with the exception of type I collagen, the same collagen types in vivo, but change their cellular phenotype more rapidly after transfer to monolayer culture, as indicated by the prompt onset of type III collagen synthesis.

Isolation and characterization of a precursor form of M collagen from embryonic chicken cartilage.

A disulfide-cross-linked collagen has been extracted with neutral salt solutions from organ cultures of embryonic chick sternal cartilage. This collagen, which we term pM collagen, is presumed to be the native extracellular precursor molecule to disulfide-cross-linked collagen fragments recently described. Cleavage of pM collagen under native conditions with pepsin gives rise to the collagen fragments M1 and M2, which had also been isolated from pepsin extracts of chick hyaline cartilage [K. von der Mark, M. van Menxel & H. Wiedemann (1982) Eur. J. Biochem. 124, 57-62]. Native pM collagen was purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and agarose gel filtration. On agarose and following polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the unreduced molecule migrates with an apparent Mr of 300 000. Reduction of disulfide bridges produces two subunits with Mr 80 000 (pMa) and 60 000 (pMb) when compared with collagen standards. Cyanogen bromide cleavage of pMa and pMb, excised from dodecyl sulfate gels, resulted in different peptide maps, indicating that both components are genetically distinct polypeptide chains. The occasional appearance of the unreduced pM collagen as a doublet band on dodecyl sulfate gels and the observation that pMa and pMb occur in non-stoichiometric ratios suggests that pMa and pMb form separate native molecules, although their incorporation into a single pM molecule cannot be excluded. Native pM collagen was completely digested with bacterial collagenase, and contained hydroxyproline and proline in a ratio of 1.15:1, indicating the absence of significant non-collagenous domains. Thus it represents, despite several pepsinlabile sites, more likely a largely triplehelical, processed form of collagen rather than a procollagen-like molecule containing globular domains. Processing of pM collagen to M1 and M2 fragments or other intermediate forms was not observed in cartilage organ culture or in chondrocyte cell cultures within 18 h.

Isolation and characterization of new collagens from chick cartilage.

Three unique collagen chains were isolated from chick sternal cartilage following pepsin solubilization of total cartilage collagens and removal of the predominant type II collagen by fractional salt precipitation. Native molecules containing 1 alpha, 2 alpha and 3 alpha chains precipitated between 0.7 M and 1.2 M NaCl at acidic pH and could be purified by chromatography on carboxymethyl-cellulose and agarose columns. Although similar to mammalian 1 alpha, 2 alpha and 3 alpha chains, differences in the mobilities on sodium dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis, CNBr peptide profiles and amino acid composition were found. The 1 alpha and 2 alpha chains resemble, but are structurally distinct from, the chick alpha 1(V) and alpha 2(V) chains. The 3 alpha chain appears to be closely related to the alpha 1(II) chain, although some differences in the cyanogen bromide peptides suggest that they might be different gene products. In addition, two collagenous fragments of Mr 140 000 (M1) and 35 000 (M2) were found which precipitated at 2.0 m NaCl at acidic pH. Both fragments contain interchain disulfide bonds. The larger fragment was reducible to subunits of approximate Mr 120 000, 48 000, 28 000 and 11 000. The smaller fragment gave rise to peptides of Mr about 12 000 and 10 000 after reduction. By the technique of rotary shadowing the native, unreduced larger fragment M1 appeared as a slender rod-like molecule with a distinct bend approximately 40 nm from one end. We interpret this finding as indicative of a focal amino acid sequence irregularity, disrupting the triple-helical conformation.