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R. Reihsner, E.J. Menzel:
"The influence of L-arginine on biomechanical parameters of native and non-enzymatically glycated rat tail tendons";
Connective Tissue Research, 31 (1994), 55 - 65.

Rat ail tendons from animals of an age from 35 days to 900 days were glycated using different glucose concentrations. After nonenzymatic glycation the biomechanical properties of tendons from young rats approached that of old tendons. In tendons from old animals the glucose incoporation was significantly lower than in young rat tail tendons. Addition of L-arginine to the glucose solution reduced the incorporation of glucose especially in young rats. The concentration of early glycation products and of advanced glycation end products were measured via affinity chromatography on boronic acid agarose and relative fluorescence per collagen content, respectively. Both parameters were significantly reduced by an additional of 10 mmo/l arginine. Biomechanical changes due to glycation were partially reversed. Incubation of rat tail tendons in L-arginine in the absence of glucose caused a dose dependent binding of the amino acid mainly to the proteglycan matrix. High concentrations of L-arginine induced pronounced biomechanical alterations contrary to the action of glucose. The biomechanical effect of L-arginine is compared to the action of Na+ and Ca²+ and discussed on the basis of a structural model of the proteoglycan matrix. Incubation of already glycated rat tail tendons with L-arginine cased a reduction of the elastic stress component. This effect was diminished by increasing the reincubation interval with glucaose. The equilibrium values of the elastic fraction were achieved after approximately five days incubation with the amino acid.

Keywords: biomechanic, rat tail tendon, nonenzymatic glycation, L-arginine, accelerated aging