A Study of Estrogenic Action on the Collagen, Hexosamine and Nitrogen Content of Skin, Uterus and Vagina

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Abstract
Although it has been assumed that estrogenic treatment of the skin changes its collagen and moisture content, our experiments indicated that neither topical administration of estrogens (estradiol-17βorhexestrol) in large doses to the skin sample site nor subcutaneous injections in a wide range of doses for 3-week periods altered: 1) collagen, as measured by hydroxyproline; 2) hexosamine; 3) total nitrogen; 4) moisture content in the skin of castrated rats. The action of estradiol-17β, in a wide range of doses (0.01–5.0 μg/day/21 days), upon the above components, plus the effect of the estrogen on the noncollagen protein in the uterus and vagina of the castrate rat, was also studied. Castrate animals which did not receive the estrogen served as controls. The results were expressed in terms of: 1) the concentration (μM/g of dry tissue) and 2) the total amount in the organ (μM/total dry organ). The collagen and noncollagen protein were compared on the basis of dry weight in mg. Analysis of our findings with estrogenic treatment indicated the following: 1) a reduced concentration of hydroxyproline in the uterus and vagina, but an increased total amount in the uterus only, because of the greater uterine weight; 2) a gain in the concentration of hexosamine in the uterus with no change in the vagina, but an increase in the total amount in both organs; 3) unaltered nitrogen concentration in both the uterus and vagina, but an increased total amount; 4) an increase in both the concentration and total amount of noncollagen protein in the uterus and vagina, accounting for the largest portion of nitrogen change; 5) a relationship between changes in hexosamine and noncollagen protein; 6) an increased moisture content of the uterus and vagina only in those animals treated with the very high daily dose of 5.0 ng for 21 days.