title: Identification and characterization of various differentiative growth plate chondrocytes from porcine by countercurrent centrifugal elutriation.
abstract: Countercurrent centrifugal elutriation was used to separate growth plate chondrocytes from porcine basing on their differences in sizes and densities. Eighteen fractions of cells with different sizes and densities were obtained. The mean cellular volumes increased progressively in each of successive fractions, and that increase was associated with specific phenotypic changes, such as biochemical differences in DNA synthesis, proteoglycan synthesis, and activities of alkaline phosphatase. Three distinct chondrocyte subpopulations with their unique characteristics were identified among the elutriated fractions. The resting chondrocytes were found to be small in size and quiescent. The hypertrophic chondrocytes were found to be large in size and metabolically active both in alkaline phosphatase and in proteoglycan productions. The proliferative chondrocytes exhibited a high DNA synthesis rate, and their sizes were found to be between those of the resting and hypertrophic chondrocytes.
authors.affiliation: Lee Hysan Clinical Research Laboratories, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Leung
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D048429:Cell Size; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002498:Centrifugation; D003377:Countercurrent Distribution; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006132:Growth Plate / Q000166:cytology*; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D011509:Proteoglycans; D004247:DNA; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase