| Morphological Changes in Disused and Denervated Old Rat Achilles Tendon Fibrils |
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In Sik Lee, Jae Young Lim |
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Konkuk University Medical Center, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. mdlis@nate.com
2Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University of College Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
3Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea. |
| 무용성 및 탈신경 노인 백서 아킬레스 힘줄 원섬유의 형태학적 변화 |
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이인식1, 임재영2, 3 |
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1건국대학교 의학전문대학원 재활의학교실, 2서울대학교 의과대학 재활의학교실, 3분당서울대학교병원 재활의학과 |
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| Abstract |
BACKGROUND
This study tried to compare the morphological changes of collagen fibrils between disused and denervated old rat Achilles tendons with those of young rats through quantitative analyses of collagen fibril diameters by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
METHODS
Old (18 months old) and young (6 months old) male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups (n=8 in each group): a control group, a complete denervation group for 4 weeks after the transection of the right sciatic nerve, and a disuse group with hindlimb unweighing by tail suspension. Each explanted Achilles tendon was used for TEM observation. Under TEM, quantitative analyses of collagen fibril diameters were performed.
RESULTS
All groups comprising old rats had smaller mean diameters and showed more left-shifted distribution of collagen fibril diameters than young rats. In particular, the disuse group of old rats showed a more prominent mean fibril diameter decrease than young rats.
CONCLUSION
Disuse might cause a more prominent decrease of collagen fibril size in the old than the young. |
| Key Words:
Denervation, Disuse, Elderly, Fibrillar collagens, Achilles tendon |
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