Abstract
THE uterus of the rat provides an ideal organ for the study of collagen breakdown; during the post partum involution of this organ the half-life of the uterine collagen is reduced to 24–30 h. Previous studies have shown that this rapid breakdown of collagen in the rat uterus is accompanied by extensive phagocytosis of collagen1–3, elevated lysosomal enzyme levels4, the presence of hydroxyproline in lysosome-like particulates, and an increase in the concentration of a collagenolytic cathepsin which digests collagen at acid pH (ref. 5). All of these findings are consistent with the intracellular ingestion and digestion of the extracellular collagen fibres.
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RYAN, J., WOESSNER, J. Oestradiol inhibition of collagenase role in uterine involution. Nature 248, 526–528 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/248526a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/248526a0
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