Summary
In spite of almost totally inhibited growth, the epiphyseal cartilage of thiouracil-treated rats revealed practically normal micromorphology at the end of the 8-week experimental period. Deposition of administered radio-sulphate in cells and matrix of epiphyseal and joint cartilages was reduced indicating decreased chondroitin-sulphate turnover. Alkaline phosphatase activity was appreciably increased, in the resting cartilage layer of the epiphyseal growth zone; increased amounts of PAS-positive material appear in the epiphyseal cartilage.
Both enchondral and appositional growth were delayed by thiouracil. The bone resorption was approximately on a level with the decreased formation of new bone, which explained the relatively normal histological appearance.
Zusammenfassung
Trotz des fast völlig aufgehobenen Wachstums zeigte der Epiphysenknorpel von thiouracilbehandelten Ratten am Ende der 8 Wochen betragenden Versuchszeit praktisch ein völlig normales mikroskopisches Aussehen. Die Ablagerung von Radiosulfat in Zellen und Grundsubstanz des Epiphysen- und Gelenksknorpels war allerdings verringert, was auf einen verringerten Chondroitin-Sulfat-Stoffwechsel hinweist; alkalische Phosphataseaktivität war am ruhenden Knorpel der epiphysären Wachstumszone wesentlich vermehrt; weiter trat hier eine erhöhte Menge von PAS-positivem Material auf.
Sowohl das enchondrale sowie das appositioneile Knochenwachstum werden durch Thiouracil verzögert. Die Knochenresorption entspricht der verringerten Knochenneubildung, was das verhältnismäßig normale histologische Aussehen des Knochens erklärt.
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Hulth, A., Nylander, G. The effects of thiouracil on growing cartilage in the rat. Virchows Arch. path Anat. 336, 580–591 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01003623
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01003623