Cortisol effect on collagen biosynthesis in embryonic explants and in vitro hydroxylation of protocollagen.

The effect of increasing doses of hydrocortisone acetate, hydrocortisone phosphoric acid complex, and hydrocortisone sodium succinate on collagen biosynthesis was assayed in two different systems. I. Explants of chicken embryo tibiae showed decreased biosynthesis of [14C]hydroxyproline and total and glycosylated [14C]hydroxylysine under the influence of high doses of hydrocortisone. With the lower doses of hydrocortisone acetate, no effect was noticed. The total uptake of the precursor amino acids followed patterns similar to those of collagen biosynthesis. II. Hydroxylation of [14C]proline labelled protocollagen by protocollagen proline hydroxylase was inhibited by high doses of hydrocortisone acetate, hydrocortisone phosphoric acid complex, and hydrocortisone sodium succinate. III. A decreased diffusion of collagen to the medium with increasing doses of hydrocortisone acetate, hydrocortisone phosphoric acid, and hydrocortisone sodium succinate was noticed. IV. No further hydroxylation of new-synthesized collagen was obtained under the influence of hydrocortisone phosphoric acid and hydrocortisone sodium succinate, when the undialyzable material was used as a substrate for protocollagen proline hydroxylase.