Physiological mechanical forces accelerate the degradation of bovine lung collagen fibers by bacterial collagenase.

ABSTRACT: Collagen fibers, one of the key load-bearing components of the extracellular matrix, contribute significantly to tissue integrity through their mechanical properties of strain-dependent stiffening. This study investigated the effects of bacterial collagenase on the mechanical behavior of individual bovine lung collagen fibers in the presence or absence of mechanical forces, with a focus on potential implications for emphysema, a condition associated with collagen degradation and alveolar wall rupture. Tensile tests were conducted on individual collagen fibers isolated from bovine lung tissue. The rate of degradation was characterized by the change in fiber Young's modulus during 60 min of digestion under various mechanical conditions mimicking the mechanical stresses on the fibers during b

SUBMITTER: Deng Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11584708 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature