Streptozotocin-induced diabetes and the rat periodontium: decreased relative collagen production.

This is the first study concerning the extent to which relative collagen production (RCP) in rat periodontal tissues is affected by diabetes. Determination of RCP, rather than individual production rates for collagen or for non-collagen protein, was deemed necessary because saturation of all proline pools in tissues of diabetics (and non-diabetic controls) was not achieved. Such non-saturation occurred despite the injection of a pool-expanding dose of proline (400-1150 mg/rat), non-saturation indicated by the lesser specific radioactivity (S.R.) of free-[3H]proline in tissues than that of the injected solution. RCP was decreased in five periodontal tissues (incisor and molar gingiva, incisor and molar periodontal ligament, antemolar palatal mucosa) and in skin. Diabetes-decreased RCP seems to result from decreased collagen synthesis and increased intracellular degradation, although some evidence is presented for increased extracellular degradation of recently secreted collagen.