The measurement of proteoglycan in the mineralizing region of the rat growth plate

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · J. Bone Jt. Surg., Am. Vol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5283879

Mitchell, N; Shepard, N; Harrod, J

Using a recently developed technique for measuring proteoglycan by x-ray microprobe analysis, we examined six-week-old rat growth plates. In the proliferating zone, the proteoglycan concentration was found to be relatively low in the transverse septa, but somewhat higher in the longitudinal septa between the proliferating chondrocytes. In the lower hypertropic zone, in the region of the degenerating hypertrophic chondrocytes, the immediate pericellular area had a very high concentration of proteoglycan, as was obtained. These results indicate that either proteoglycan concentrations fall to very low levels in fully mineralized cartilage, or that the mineralization of cartilage interferes in some way with the measurement of microprobe signals from proteoglycans. We speculate that high levels of proteoglycan are necessary for mineralization in the epiphysis of the rat. Clinical Relevance: The spot-to-spot analysis of proteoglycan by microprobe demonstrates the usefulness of this tool in analyzing minute volumes of cartilage for proteoglycan. It further demonstrates that mineralization of growth-plate cartilage is associated with changing patterns of concentration of proteoglycan. These normal patterns may constitute a basis for comparison in similarly evaluating concentrations of proteoglycan in diseases of growth disturbance.

• Research Organization: Electron Microscopy Unit, Shriners Hospital, Montreal
• OSTI ID: 5283879
• Journal Information: J. Bone Jt. Surg., Am. Vol.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Bone Jt. Surg., Am. Vol.; (United States) Vol. 64-A:1; ISSN JBJSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ANIMAL GROWTH
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BODY
CARBOHYDRATES
CARTILAGE
CELL PROLIFERATION
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
ELECTRON MICROPROBE ANALYSIS
GROWTH
KINETICS
MAMMALS
MEASURING METHODS
MICROANALYSIS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHYSIOLOGY
POLYSACCHARIDES
RATS
REACTION KINETICS
RODENTS
SACCHARIDES
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS