Taylor J R, Scott J E, Cribb A M, Bosworth T R
Department of Anatomy and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands.
J Anat. 1992 Feb;180 ( Pt 1)(Pt 1):137-41.
Alcian blue critical electrolyte concentration (CEC) staining of intervertebral discs (annulus and nucleus of cervical, thoracic and lumbar discs) distinguished 3 groups where CEC staining correlated with age (less than 3 months; from 3 months to 5 years; over 10 years). The CEC increased markedly (implying increased sulphation of the glycosaminoglycans) in the period of maturation (fetal life to 10 years) and then remained constant throughout adult life. This is at variance with accepted views which attribute such changes to degenerative changes in old age. The major part of the CEC increase occurred after the disappearance of blood vessels from the disc, which is almost complete by 4 years. Our results are compatible with the hypothesis that keratan sulphate replaces chondroitin sulphate, functionally, in conditions of oxygen lack.
椎间盘（颈椎、胸椎和腰椎间盘的纤维环和髓核）的阿尔辛蓝临界电解质浓度（CEC）染色区分出3组，其中CEC染色与年龄相关（小于3个月；3个月至5岁；超过10岁）。在成熟阶段（胎儿期至10岁），CEC显著增加（意味着糖胺聚糖的硫酸化增加），然后在成年期保持恒定。这与将此类变化归因于老年退行性变化的公认观点不同。CEC增加的主要部分发生在椎间盘血管消失之后，到4岁时血管几乎完全消失。我们的结果与以下假设相符：在缺氧条件下，硫酸角质素在功能上取代硫酸软骨素。
