Mechanical properties of reconstituted collagen fibrils. Influence of a glycosaminoglycan: dermatan sulfate.

The mechanical properties of membranes composed of fibrils reconstituted from solubilized and purified rat skin collagen were investigated following the addition of various concentrations of dermatan sulfate. Dermatan sulfate was added to collagen 48 hrs before and immediately after aggregation into fibrils and was added to membranes prematured for various time periods. Dermatan sulfate reduced the mechanical strength developed below the levels observed for control membranes during maturation. The stiffness was analyzed as a function of strain and for each increment of per cent strain was expressed in relation to the maximum stiffness of the membrane under consideration. When dermatan sulfate was added to the membranes in concentrations that were the same or higher than those in skin (about 1%) an increase in the relative stiffness was observed during the first part of the deformation. The length of time that the membranes were matured before the addition of dermatan sulfate did not correlate with any of the effects of dermatan sulfate.