Age-related changes in structure and extracellular matrix protein expression levels in rat tendons.

ABSTRACT: The musculoskeletal system (muscle-tendon-bone) demonstrates numerous age-related changes, with modifications in tendons the least well studied, although increased predisposition to tendinopathy and rupture have been reported. In order to gain insights into the basis of age-associated increase in tendon injuries, we compared Achilles and tibialis anterior tendons and myotendinous junctions (MTJs) from 3- to 5- and 22- to 25-month-old rats for underlying structure and composition. Significant decreases were observed by qRT-PCR for collagen I, III, and V mRNA expression in tendons of old rats, but immunostaining detected no apparent differences in collagen I and V expression on the protein level. Tendons of old compared with young rats had decreased mRNA expression levels of proteoglycan 4 (

SUBMITTER: Kostrominova TY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3824999 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature