Wachtel E, Maroudas A, Schneiderman R
Faculty of Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 1995 Feb 23;1243(2):239-43. doi: 10.1016/0304-4165(94)00134-j.
We have used X-ray scattering techniques to determine if the lateral packing of collagen molecules in the fibrils of human articular cartilage changes with age. Such changes would affect the available intrafibrillar volume and consequently the amount of intrafibrillar water. Measurements were made both in the presence and absence of compression on samples from donors aged 20 to 90 years. We find a weak though statistically significant tendency towards less dense collagen packing in native tissue as a function of age. However, the increase in packing density in response to pressure does not change with age, and the packing density in articular cartilage from which the proteoglycan molecules have been removed is similarly not age-dependent. The small increase in intrafibrillar water indicated by our data is insufficient to explain the reported increase in fibril diameter in samples from aged donors.
我们利用X射线散射技术来确定人类关节软骨纤维中胶原蛋白分子的侧向堆积是否会随年龄变化。这种变化会影响纤维内可用的体积，进而影响纤维内的水量。对20至90岁供体的样本在有压缩和无压缩的情况下都进行了测量。我们发现，在天然组织中，胶原蛋白堆积密度随年龄增长有微弱但在统计学上显著的降低趋势。然而，受压时堆积密度的增加并不随年龄变化，并且去除蛋白聚糖分子的关节软骨中的堆积密度同样不依赖于年龄。我们的数据表明纤维内水量的小幅增加不足以解释老年供体样本中报道的纤维直径增加。
