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Electron probe X-ray microanalysis of the composition of hyaline articular and non-articular cartilage in young and aged rats

Cell and Tissue Research volume 253, pages 469–475 (1988)Cite this article

Summary

Blocks of articular cartilage were taken from tibiae of young adult (8 week) and aged adult (50–60 week) rats; xiphisternal cartilage was obtained from young adult rats. Specimens were quench-frozen in nitrogen slush, freeze-fractured and examined by low-temperature scanning electron microscopy. The results of X-ray microanalysis of frozen-hydrated bulk cartilage are semi-quantitative. The composition of chondrocyte nuclei and cytoplasm are only marginally different. Xiphisternal chondrocytes contain lipid inclusions which show an absence of element peaks and are designated as being neutral lipid. Intra- and extracellular Na, P, S, Cl, K and Ca count rates are significantly different. Cartilage from older rats contains more S and Ca, and less K and Cl in the intercellular matrix than that from young rats. Intracellular K levels are lower in aged than in young rats. The intercellular matrix of xiphisternal cartilage contains larger amounts of S, Na and K, and a smaller amount of Cl compared to that of tibial articular cartilage.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, UK

    James F. S. Middleton, Stephen Hunt & Kenneth Oates

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  1. James F. S. Middleton
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  2. Stephen Hunt
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  3. Kenneth Oates
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Middleton, J.F.S., Hunt, S. & Oates, K. Electron probe X-ray microanalysis of the composition of hyaline articular and non-articular cartilage in young and aged rats. Cell Tissue Res. 253, 469–475 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222305

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00222305

Key words

  • Elemental composition
  • X-ray microanalysis
  • Low temperature microscopy
  • Hyaline cartilage
  • Chondrocytes
  • Extracellular matrix
  • Rat (Wistar)