Effects of denervation and immobilization on collagen synthesis in rat skeletal muscle and tendon.

The activities of prolyl 4-hydroxylase (PH) and galactosylhydroxylysyl glucosyltransferase (GGT), both enzymes of collagen biosynthesis, and the concentration of hydroxyproline (HYP) were measured in the gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis anterior muscles of rats after sciatic nerve neurectomy combined with cast immobilization of the denervated limb for 1 and 3 wk. PH and GGT were also observed in Achilles and tibialis anterior tendons after cast immobilization without neurectomy. After neurectomy the specific PH activity in the denervated gastrocnemius muscle increased by 215% (P less than 0.001). The specific GGT activity increased by 92-110% (P less than 0.01) in the denervated gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis anterior muscles. Elevation of the muscular HYP concentration by 118-170% (P less than 0.001) in the denervated muscles was observed. The PH, GGT, and HYP responses of the denervated muscles immobilized at a lengthened or shortened position during denervation atrophy did not generally differ significantly from those of the unfixed denervated ones. The specific PH and GGT activities of the disused tendons decreased by 62 (P less than 0.01) and 25% (P less than 0.001), respectively, in tendons immobilized in a chronically shortened position. The results suggest that denervation atrophy of skeletal muscle is associated with both an increased level of muscular collagen biosynthesis and with an increased muscular collagen concentration. The PH and GGT responses of the cast-immobilized tendons suggest adaptive changes in collagen biosynthesis of the disused tendon.