A preliminary study of mechanically stress-induced changes in the extracellular matrix of the canine intervertebral disc.
The intervertebral discs of a young (age, 3 years) and an old (age, 8 years) dog were isolated as motion segments and cyclically stressed in physiologic nondestructive axial compression loads. Chemical analysis of the matrix of the annulus fibrosus revealed a shift in proteoglycan molecular size from larger to smaller moieties for the older dog but not for the younger. These preliminary results may indicate an age-related inability of the disc to tolerate cyclic stress.
Vasan
N S
NS
Department of Anatomy, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark.
Gutteling
E W
EW
Lee
C K
CK
Cibischino
M
M
Parsons
J R
JR
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D004285:Dogs; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000502:physiology*; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000032:analysis*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
D011509:Proteoglycans