Scott J E, Bosworth T R, Cribb A M, Taylor J R
Department of Chemical Morphology, Manchester University, UK.
J Anat. 1994 Feb;184 ( Pt 1)(Pt 1):73-82.
Hyaluronan (HA), chondroitin and keratan sulphates (CS, KS), collagen and dry weights were measured in the annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus of human cervical, thoracic and lumbar intervertebral discs aged 36-79 y. Alcian blue-critical electrolyte concentration (CEC) staining of sections extended the results. The collagen, total polyanion, HA, CS and KS contents of the nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus were plotted for all 3 regions against age. Regional differences and age-related trends were found. For regional differences, the collagen content of the nucleus pulposus was highest in cervical discs and lowest in lumbar discs. In contrast, the total polyanion content of the nucleus pulposus was highest in lumbar discs and lowest in cervical discs. These differences were seen in fetal and adult discs. With respect to age-related trends, the collagen content of the annulus fibrosus was higher in adults and children than in neonates and infants. The collagen content of the nucleus pulposus increased with age in thoracic and lumbar discs, but it was consistently high in cervical discs. There was generally a downward trend of total polyanion and CS with increase in age. This was quite consistent for the annulus fibrosus in all regions and there were dramatic decreases in the lumbar nucleus pulposus in all adults compared with infants and children. These trends were least evident in the cervical nucleus pulposus where infant values were low. CS changes correlated with water content. HA and KS increased in all discs with increasing maturity. Oversulphated KS, absent from fetal discs, reached mature levels by 10 y. Many of the changes occurred before maturity. Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) levels correlated with increasing compressive loads. Higher collagen levels in the cervical nucleus pulposus correlated with greater ranges of torsional and shearing strains in cervical discs. High GAG levels in cervical annulus fibrosus probably facilitate lamellar movements during torsional and flexional movements by lubrication and increase of tissue compressibility. Increased KS/CS ratios before maturity correlated with decreased disc blood supply. Ambient O2 tensions may determine KS/CS balance, the former consuming little O2 during biosynthesis.
对年龄在36 - 79岁的人类颈椎、胸椎和腰椎椎间盘的纤维环和髓核中的透明质酸（HA）、硫酸软骨素和硫酸角质素（CS、KS）、胶原蛋白及干重进行了测量。切片的阿尔新蓝临界电解质浓度（CEC）染色拓展了研究结果。针对所有3个区域，绘制了髓核和纤维环中胶原蛋白、总聚阴离子、HA、CS和KS含量随年龄变化的曲线。发现了区域差异和与年龄相关的趋势。就区域差异而言，髓核中的胶原蛋白含量在颈椎间盘最高，在腰椎间盘最低。相反，髓核中的总聚阴离子含量在腰椎间盘最高，在颈椎间盘最低。这些差异在胎儿和成人椎间盘中均可见。关于与年龄相关的趋势，纤维环中的胶原蛋白含量在成人和儿童中高于新生儿和婴儿。髓核中的胶原蛋白含量在胸椎和腰椎椎间盘中随年龄增加，而在颈椎椎间盘中一直较高。总聚阴离子和CS通常随年龄增长呈下降趋势。这在所有区域的纤维环中都相当一致，并且与婴儿和儿童相比，所有成年人的腰椎髓核中都有显著下降。这些趋势在颈椎髓核中最不明显，因为婴儿期的值较低。CS的变化与含水量相关。随着成熟度增加，所有椎间盘中的HA和KS都增加。胎儿椎间盘中不存在的过度硫酸化KS在10岁时达到成熟水平。许多变化发生在成熟之前。糖胺聚糖（GAG）水平与增加的压缩负荷相关。颈椎髓核中较高的胶原蛋白水平与颈椎椎间盘中更大的扭转和剪切应变范围相关。颈椎纤维环中较高的GAG水平可能通过润滑和增加组织可压缩性来促进扭转和弯曲运动期间的层状运动。成熟前KS/CS比值增加与椎间盘血液供应减少相关。环境氧气张力可能决定KS/CS平衡，前者在生物合成过程中消耗的氧气很少。
