Function of collagen: blood pressure in lathyritic rats.

COLLAGEN constitutes approximately one-third of the body protein in mammals. While its significance in maintaining form is obvious, little is known of its possible role in physiological processes. Discovering functions of collagen would be of particular importance in regard to ageing. Physical properties of collagen change markedly with age, presumably because of increased cross-linkages, but these changes have not been related to the decrease in efficiency of physiological processes characteristic of ageing. The changes in collagen with age and their possible significance have recently been reviewed1.