Effects of Hyperlipoproteinemic Serum and Exogenous Proline Concentration on Collagen Synthesis by Isolated Rabbit Aortas

Abstract

Collagen synthesis was measured in segments of normal rabbit aorta, incubated in vitro, by monitoring the formation of peptidyl-14C-hydroxyproline from [U-14C]-L-proline added to the incubation medium. The effect of hyperlipoproteinemic rabbit serum on the rate of collagen synthesis [in atherosclerosis] was compared with the effect of normal rabbit serum. No differences in the rates of synthesis were detected between the 2 batches of serum, despite a 60-fold difference in serum cholesterol concentration. Increases in free proline concentration in the incubation medium resulted in changes in proline flux between medium and tissue pools of free proline, but medium proline concentration had no effect on the rate of collagen synthesis.