ISOMETRIC CONTRACTION OF EPIDERMIS AND STRATUM CORNEUM WITH HEATING*

Keyword(s): Isometric contraction studies provide valuable date an the response of epidermal tissue to heating in water. A major change occurring in the tissue during heating is a conversion of the molecular structure of the -filaments to -configuration. Prior treatment of the tissue with several solvents show specific effects on the isometric contraction studies and the changes observed are discussed in relation to the structure of the tissue. The denaturation of proteins by heat in the presence of water involves the loss of secondary and tertiary molecular structure but without chemical degradation (1). The temperature at which denaturation begins (melting temperature) varies with different proteins and is dependent on among other parameters the pH and ionic strength of the solution. Some tissues which contain highly oriented fibrous protein such as tendons show considerable shortening when heated above the melting temperature as a result of a helix-to-coil transition (2). Rudall (3 4) reported that epidermis from cow snout epidermis contracted in water with heating and that this was accompanied by a change in structure ... schö

Zurück | Weiter