Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1994 Jan-Feb;31(1):21-36.
doi: 10.3233/bir-1994-31103.

Viscoelastic studies of extracellular matrix interactions in a model native collagen gel system

Affiliations

Viscoelastic studies of extracellular matrix interactions in a model native collagen gel system

S Hsu et al. Biorheology. 1994 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

We describe an in vitro test of the hypothesis that viscoelastic properties of the collagen fiber network of skin are influenced by interactions between the macromolecular components in the extracellular matrix. Native type I collagen gels were investigated as a mechanical analog for connective tissue. A series of gels were formed under physiological conditions via fibril precipitation in the presence of selected matrix macromolecules, including dermatan sulfate (DS), hyaluronic acid (HA), dermatan sulfate proteoglycan (DSPG), fibronectin (FN) and elastin. Viscoelastic measurements and transmission electron microscopy were performed to explore the relationship between mechanical strength and fibril morphology. The results demonstrate that associative interactions of DSPG and HA with collagen fibrils, as well as variations in collagen fibril size distribution and the amount of elastin, can modify the viscoelastic behavior of the model collagen gels. Addition of DSPG, DS and HA increases both storage and loss moduli, G' and G"; morphological examination shows adhesive binding of these species to the collagen fibrils. At 37 degrees C, elastin increases G' by forming elastic coacervate particles. FN has no effect on the gel viscoelasticity. The observed effects are discussed in terms of current clinical observations on age-related changes in the mechanical properties of skin.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources