Kääb M J, Richards R G, Ito K, ap Gwynn I, Nötzli H P
Charité, Campus Virchow Clinic, Berlin, Germany.
Cells Tissues Organs. 2003;175(3):133-9. doi: 10.1159/000074629.
The main function of articular cartilage is to transmit load. The objective of this study was to describe the deformation of chondrocytes under static loading and its relation to collagen matrix deformation. Whole intact rabbit knee joints were loaded statically with either high or low magnitude and long or short duration. Specimens were cryopreserved while under load and prepared for morphological evaluation by field emission scanning electron microscopy. With this method an immediate preservation of the chondrocyte in its loaded state was possible. Static compression of articular cartilage produced a zone-specific deformation of chondrocyte shape, depending on the magnitude and duration of load. Under high-force and long-duration loading, the chondrocytes showed considerable deformation concomitant with the highly deformed collagen fibres. Chondrocyte deformation occurred mostly in the transitional and upper radial zones and less in the lower layers. There was no significant change of the chondrocyte shape in the tangential zone under high- or low-force short-duration loading. These results show that the chondrocytes undergo significant changes in shape ex vivo and that they are sensitive to differences in the magnitude and duration of loads being applied. Chondrocyte deformation is strongly linked to the deformation of the surrounding cartilage collagen matrix.
关节软骨的主要功能是传递负荷。本研究的目的是描述静态负荷下软骨细胞的变形及其与胶原基质变形的关系。对完整的兔膝关节进行高或低强度、长或短时间的静态负荷。标本在负荷状态下进行冷冻保存，并通过场发射扫描电子显微镜进行形态学评估。通过这种方法，可以立即将软骨细胞保存在其负荷状态。关节软骨的静态压缩会导致软骨细胞形状的区域特异性变形，这取决于负荷的大小和持续时间。在高力和长时间负荷下，软骨细胞表现出明显变形，同时胶原纤维也高度变形。软骨细胞变形主要发生在过渡区和上辐射区，而下层较少。在高或低力短时间负荷下，切线区软骨细胞形状无明显变化。这些结果表明，软骨细胞在体外会发生显著的形状变化，并且它们对所施加负荷的大小和持续时间的差异敏感。软骨细胞变形与周围软骨胶原基质的变形密切相关。
