title: Development of vimentin filaments in the cells of the articular disc of the rat squamosomandibular joint with age.
abstract: Age-related changes in the vimentin filaments were studied by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. In 2-week-old rats, cells showed only weak labelling for vimentin. A few intermediate filaments but well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus were observed in the cytoplasm. As the age of the rats advanced from 4-weeks to adulthood, labelling intensity increased and the cytoplasm of articular-disc cells was gradually filled with intermediate filaments surrounding degraded cytoplasmic organelles in the cytosol. Articular-disc cells in adult rats showed intense vimentin labelling and their cytoplasm was filled with closely packed intermediate filaments aligned in alternating layers. This age-related accumulation of vimentin filaments in articular-disc cells may be an adaptive response to compressive forces.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, Taegu, Korea. ycbae@kyungpook.ac.kr
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ihn
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D019245:Compressive Strength; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019224:Temporomandibular Joint Disc / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014746:Vimentin