Glucocorticoid and starvation effect on glycosaminoglycans in vascular connective tissue. Biochemical studies on repair processes in rabbit aorta.

Male rabbits were injured by a single mechanical dilatation injury of aorta and then injected with prednisone 2 mg/kg or saline for 14 days or subjected to starvation. The biosynthesis of the sulfated glycosaminoglycans as evaluated by the uptake of 35S-sulfate and the content of the glycosaminoglycans were measured on the intima-media layer of the descending thoracic aorta. The results indicate that prednisone may inhibit the biosynthesis of heparan and/or dermatan sulfate while starvation increases the biosynthesis of all the sulfated glycosaminoglycans. No alterations were observed in the total amount of glycosaminoglycans in aorta following glucocorticoid injection or starvation. The metabolism of aortic glycosaminoglycans during repair is less sensitive to the action of prednisone than in undamaged aorta. This contrasts with the effect of prednisone on the metabolism of aortic collagen.