Departamento de Fisioterapia da, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil.
Rheumatol Int. 2011 Jun;31(6):737-42. doi: 10.1007/s00296-010-1371-z. Epub 2010 Feb 13.
To evaluate the remodeling of collagen fibers in the articular cartilage of rat ankles, with and without immobilization, after application of muscle stretching protocol. Twenty three Wistar rats were divided into four groups: immobilized (I), n=6; immobilized and stretched (IS), n=6; stretched (S), n=6 and control (C), n=5. The animals in groups I and IS were submitted to immobilization. After the period of immobilization, the animals in groups IS and S were submitted to a muscle stretching protocol. At the end of the experiment, the animals were euthanized and the joints removed, processed and stained with Picrosirius red. The analysis was carried out using a polarized light microscope. The density of collagen fibers were quantified according to the intensity of birefringence displayed. By way of statistical analyses, the right and left hind limbs of the different groups were compared based on the total density of collagen fibers, the density of thick collagen fibers and the density of thin collagen fibers. Immobilization promoted a reduction in density of the thin fibers and of total collagen. The muscle stretching protocol after immobilization promoted a reduction in density of the total collagen and of the thick fibers, but the density of the thin fibers showed the same values as control. The collagen fibers were remodeled by the different stimuli. Immobilization was harmful to the collagen fibers and the muscle stretching protocol only recovered the thin collagen fibers.
为了评估在应用肌肉拉伸方案后，固定和未固定的大鼠踝关节关节软骨中胶原纤维的重塑情况。将 23 只 Wistar 大鼠分为四组：固定组（I），n=6；固定+拉伸组（IS），n=6；拉伸组（S），n=6；对照组（C），n=5。I 组和 IS 组的动物接受固定。固定期结束后，IS 组和 S 组的动物接受肌肉拉伸方案。实验结束时，处死动物并取出关节，进行 Picrosirius 红染色和处理。使用偏光显微镜进行分析。根据双折射显示的强度对胶原纤维密度进行定量分析。通过统计学分析，比较不同组的左右后肢，比较总胶原纤维密度、粗胶原纤维密度和细胶原纤维密度。固定可降低细纤维和总胶原的密度。固定后肌肉拉伸方案可降低总胶原和粗纤维的密度，但细纤维的密度与对照组相同。不同刺激可重塑胶原纤维。固定对胶原纤维有害，而肌肉拉伸方案仅恢复细胶原纤维。
