Fate of Meckel's cartilage chondrocytes in ocular culture
Modulation of the chondrocyte phenotype was observed in an organ culture system using Meckel's cartilage. First branchial arch cartilage was dissected from fetal rats of 16- and 17-day gestation. Perichondrium was mechanically removed, cartilage was split at the rostral process, and each half was grafted into the anterior chamber of an adult rat eye. The observed pattern of development in nonirradiated specimens was the following: hypertrophy of the rostral process and endochondral-type ossification, fibrous atrophy in the midsection, and mineralization of the malleus and incus. A change in matrix composition of the implanted cartilage was demonstrated with immunofluorescence staining for cartilage-specific proteoglycan (CSPG). After 15 days of culture, CSPG was found in the auricular process but not in the midsection or rostral process. In order to mark the implanted cells and follow their fate, cartilage was labeled in vitro with (3H)thymidine (3H)TdR). Immediately after labeling 20% of the chondrocytes contained (3H)TdR. After culturing for 5 days, 20% of the chondrocytes were still labeled and 10% of the osteogenic cells also contained radioactive label. The labeling index decreased in both cell types with increased duration of culture. Multinucleated clast-type cells did not contain label. Additional cartilages not labeled with (3H)TdR were exposed to between 20000 and 6000 rad of gamma irradiation before ocular implantation. Irradiated cartilage did not hypertrophy or form bone but a fibrous region developed in the midsection. Cells of the host animal were not induced to form bone around the irradiated cartilage. Our studies suggest that fully differentiated chondrocytes of Meckel's cartilage have the capacity to become osteocytes, osteoblasts, and fibroblasts.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada)
- OSTI ID:
- 7092433
- Journal Information:
- Dev. Biol.; (United States), Vol. 129:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CARTILAGE
GRAFTS
GLUCOPROTEINS
BIOSYNTHESIS
ANIMAL CELLS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
EYES
GAMMA RADIATION
PHENOTYPE
RATS
THYMIDINE
TISSUE CULTURES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
AZINES
BODY
BODY AREAS
CARBOHYDRATES
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FACE
GLYCOPROTEINS
HEAD
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PROTEINS
PYRIMIDINES
RADIATIONS
RIBOSIDES
RODENTS
SACCHARIDES
SENSE ORGANS
SYNTHESIS
TISSUES
TRANSPLANTS
VERTEBRATES
560120* - Radiation Effects on Biochemicals
Cells
& Tissue Culture
550901 - Pathology- Tracer Techniques