title: Distribution of chondroitin 4-sulfate epitopes (2/B/6) in various zones and compartments of articular cartilage in guinea pig osteoarthrosis.
abstract: We studied changes in the morphology of tibial articular cartilage in early guinea pig osteoarthrosis (OA) at 6 and 12 months of age with quantitative light microscopy, and the distribution of chondroitin-4-sulfate with quantitative ultrastructural immunolabeling, using the 2/B/6 epitope. Labeling was correlated to previous chromatography findings concerning proteoglycan (PG) concentration in animals of the same age. The cell volume fraction had decreased at 12 months in the superficial zone of cartilage with OA (medial condyle) as well as in cartilage without OA (lateral condyle), being lower medially than laterally. The PG concentration differed between the zones and matrix compartments. Medially, a reduction in PG concentration occurred between 6 and 12 months in the interterritorial compartment of the two uppermost zones. Laterally, the concentrations increased. In general, the pericellular PG concentration was higher than the interterritorial in the two uppermost zones. The striking variation in structural and labeling responses in the various zones and compartments indicate a heterogeneous tissue response in guinea pig OA that will probably affect sampling in biochemical analyses of cartilage homogenates and synovial fluid.
authors.affiliation: Center for Surgical Sciences, Division of Orthopedics, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Bo Harald
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Brismar
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hultenby
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hjerpe
authors.forename: Olle
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Svensson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000378:metabolism*; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates