A chemically modified tetracycline inhibits streptozotocin-induced diabetic depression of skin collagen synthesis and steady-state type I procollagen mRNA

Ronald G. Craig, Zhao Yu, L. Xu, R. Barr, Nangavaram Ramamurthy, Jocelyn Boland, Michael Schneir, Lorne M. Golub

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Wasting of connective tissues including skin, bone, and cartilage have been closely associated with elevated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and depressed collagen content in the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat, while tetracyclines have been reported to normalize total body weight, skin hydroxyproline and collagen content in this model, in part through inhibition of MMPs. In the present study, we report the effect of CMT-1, a chemically modified tetracycline that lacks antimicrobial properties but retains divalent cation binding and MMP inhibitory activity, on diabetic skin collagen synthesis and steady-state levels of procollagen α 1(I) mRNA. Male, 4-month old Sprague-Dawley rats received a single injection of 75 mg/kg STZ or citrate vehicle alone and diabetic status was confirmed by positive glucosuria. Some diabetic animals received 10 mg/day of CMT-1 by oral garage and, 28 days after STZ treatment, body weight, blood glucose values and the in vivo rates of skin collagen production were measured using the pool- expansion technique. Steady-state levels of procollagen α l(I) mRNA were analyzed 21 days after STZ treatment by hybridization of total RNA with a 32P labelled cDNA to rat type I procollagen α 1(I) mRNA in a dot-blot assay. STZ treatment was found to significantly depress body weight, skin collagen hydroxyproline content, the in vivo rate of collagen production, and hybridizable levels of type I procollagen α1(I) mRNA. CMT-I administered daily to STZ-treated rats inhibited the diabetic depression of these parameters but had little or no effect on non-diabetic controls or on STZ- induced hyperglycemia. Thus, in addition to the inhibition of MMP mediated extracellular collagen degradation, these results suggest CMT-1 also acts to inhibit diabetic connective tissue breakdown in STZ-induced diabetes by increasing both steady-state levels of type I procollagen mRNA and collagen synthesis through mechanism(s) that are independent of the antibacterial properties of tetracyclines.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)250-260
    Number of pages11
    JournalBiochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research
    Volume1402
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Apr 24 1998

    Keywords

    • Collagen
    • Diabetes
    • Tetracycline
    • mRNA

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Molecular Biology
    • Cell Biology

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