EFFECT OF VITAMIN E DEFICIENCY ON THE CROSSLINKING OF COLLAGEN

With a view to study the changes in collagen crosslinking in vitamin E deficiency, two groups of weanling albino rats were fed with control and vitamin E-deficient diets respectively for 16 weeks and the samples of skins and urine were analysed. The results showed compared to the controls, vitamin E-deficient group showed an elevation of labile col-lagen, a decrease in the aldehyde content of neutral salt soluble col-lagen, increased susceptibility of insoluble collagen to denaturants and pronase. There is an increase of a1 and a2 subunits and a decrease of β11 and β12 subunits while the urinary excretion of hydroxyproline is not altered. These results suggest an impairment of collagen cross-linking probably involving a reduction in the aldehydic crosslinking precursor of collagen. The changes observed do not seem to be due to increased catabolism.