In Vitro Sirius Red Collagen Assay Measures the Pattern Shift from Soluble to Deposited Collagen

• Published in: Advances in experimental medicine and biology Vol. 765; pp. 47 - 53
• Main Authors: Chen, Chun, Yang, Shanmin, Zhang, Mei, Zhang, Zhenhuan, Zhang, Bingrong, Han, Deping, Ma, Jun, Wang, Xiaohui, Hong, Jingshen, Guo, Yansong, Okunieff, Paul, Zhang, Lurong
• Format: Book Chapter Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Springer 01.01.2013; Springer New York
• Series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
• Subjects: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating - pharmacology; Azo Compounds; Biological Assay; Cells, Cultured; Collagen; Collagen - metabolism; Coloring Agents; Diterpenes - pharmacology; Embryo, Mammalian - cytology; Embryo, Mammalian - drug effects; Embryo, Mammalian - metabolism; Epoxy Compounds - pharmacology; Fetus - cytology; Fetus - drug effects; Fetus - metabolism; Fibroblasts - cytology; Fibroblasts - drug effects; Fibroblasts - metabolism; Humans; Immunology; Lung - cytology; Lung - drug effects; Lung - metabolism; Mice; NIH 3T3 Cells; Phenanthrenes - pharmacology; Physiology; Proline - metabolism; Respiratory medicine; Transforming Growth Factor beta - pharmacology
• ISBN: 9781493902507; 1493902504; 9781461447719; 1461447712
• ISSN: 0065-2598; 2214-8019
• DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-4989-8_7

In this study, we compared two in vitro collagen production assays ([3H]-proline incorporation and Sirius Red) for their ability to determine the pattern shift from soluble to deposited collagen. The effect of the antifibrotic agent, triptolide (TPL), on collagen production was also studied. The results showed that: (1) 48 h after NIH 3T3 (murine embryo fibroblast) and HFL-1(human fetal lung fibroblast) were exposed to transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β), there was an increase in soluble collagen in the culture medium; (2) on day 4, soluble collagen declined, whereas deposited collagen increased; (3) Sirius Red was easier to use than [3H]-proline incorporation and more consistently reflected the collagen pattern shift from soluble to deposited; (4) the in vitro Sirius Red assay took less time than the in vivo assay to determine the effect of TPL. Our results suggest that: (a) the newly synthesized soluble collagen can sensitively evaluate an agent’s capacity for collagen production and (b) Sirius Red is more useful than [3H]-proline because it is easier to use, more convenient, less time consuming, and does not require radioactive material.