Mucosubstances in the chicken aorta: Part 1. Changes with age in acid mucopolysaccharides, glycoproteins, collagen and elastin

Abstract

Summary The mucosubstances and cholesterol in the aorta of male and female white Leghorn chickens, ranging in age from 3 to 36 months, were studied. The glycoproteins and collagen in the thoracic and abdominal aortas increased with age in both male and female birds. On the other hand, the elastin and AMPS decreased with age. The abdominal segment of the aorta contained more collagen and glycoproteins than the thoracic portion , while the converse was true for elastin and mucopolysaccharides. The abdominal aorta undergoes marked changes in its composition with aging. The serum protein-bound carbohydrate showed a gradual rise in the early stages and then changed little as the chickens grew older. The total cholesterol concentration of the two aortic segments was higher in the female than in the male. Total cholesterol of the aortic tissue had a tendency to increase as the birds grew older. The free cholesterol patterns in both male and female paralleled the total cholesterol changes. The total and free cholesterol content in the plasma of females increased with aging while a decrease was observed in the case of the male.