alcian-blue and Fractures--Bone

A new staining technique based on alcian blue and hematoxylin was used during the study of experimentally produced fractures in long bone. The distinction between cartilage, woven bone, mature bone and necrotic bone during successive stages of the fracture healing process was particularly remarkable. This method was found also to be very useful in the study of general tissue morphology. It is suggested that this postdecalcification light microscopy staining method is suitable for studies of cartilage and bone development with particular reference to ossification, remodelling and bone pathology.

Topics: Alcian Blue; Animals; Benzopyrans; Bone and Bones; Bone Development; Bone Resorption; Bony Callus; Cartilage; Cell Differentiation; Fractures, Bone; Hematoxylin; Indoles; Necrosis; Radius Fractures; Rats; Staining and Labeling; Wound Healing

Differentiation and calcification of cartilage of a fracture callus morphologically, ultrastructurally, and histochemically resembles cartilage of growing epiphyseal plate. The fracture callus includes the various cartilage cell types found in the epiphyseal plate. Proliferating and hypertrophic cartilage had higher activities of cytochrome oxidase, alkaline phosphatase and glutamate aspartate transaminase than fibrocartilage. Enzymes controlling glycogen synthesis and glycolysis had higher levels of activity in fibrocartilage than in hypertrophic cartilage. Lysosomal enzymes, catalase, 6-phospho-gluconic acid and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase were uniformly distributed. Alkaline phosphatase was associated with extracellular vesicles found in hypertrophic cartilage. EM dense granules were found in mitochondria in hypertrophic cartilage. There was an increase of total lipids in hypertropic and calcified cartilage as compared to resting cartilage.

Topics: Alcian Blue; Alkaline Phosphatase; Animals; Bony Callus; Calcinosis; Cartilage, Articular; Cell Differentiation; Cell Division; Citrate (si)-Synthase; Electron Transport Complex IV; Fractures, Bone; Glycogen; Glycogen Synthase; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Nucleotidyltransferases; Periodic Acid; Phosphofructokinase-1; Rabbits; Schiff Bases; Staining and Labeling