Summary
The endosteal reaction, the initial step in the formation of medullary bone, was investigated in femurs of estrogen-treated male Japanese quail. Morphologically, the endosteal cells were in an undifferentiated state until 30 h after estrogen treatment and showed characteristics resembling those of resting cells. Many preosteoblasts were seen on the endosteum at 33 h, whereas mitotic figures and fully differentiated osteoblasts were recognized at 36 h after estrogen. The mitotic figures were observed among the preosteoblasts on the endosteum. Autoradiographs showed that the number of endosteal cells labeled by [3H]thymidine injected 1 h before sacrifice was maximal 27 h after the estrogen administration and decreased markedly by 30 h. When a single injection of [3H]thymidine was given at 26 h after estrogen, the highest percent of labeled endosteal cells was observed 1 h later (27 h after estrogen). Labeled preosteoblasts and osteoblasts were observed at 7 h (33 h after estrogen) and 10 h (36 h after estrogen), respectively. Our results show that under the influence of estrogen, endosteal cells are induced to maximally synthesize DNA about 27 h after estrogen. These cells appear to modulate into preosteoblasts in about 6 h and then divide via mitosis to become osteoblasts within an additional 3 h. The development of medullary bone induced by estrogen occurs in a sequential and predictable manner, which makes it a useful system for studying basic problems on bone cell differentiation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Taylor TG, Simkiss K, Stringer DA (1971) The skeleton: its structure and metabolism. In Bell JJ, Freeman BM (eds): Physiology and Biochemistry of the Domestic Fowl, vol 2. Academic Press, New York, pp 621–690
Bloom MA, McLean FC, Bloom W (1942) Calcification and ossification: the formation of medullary bone in male and castrate pigeons under the influence of sex hormone. Anat Rec 83:99–120
Turner RT, Schraer H (1977) Estrogen-induced sequential changes in avian bone metabolism. Calcif Tissue Res 24:157–162
Katzenellenbogen BS, Gorski J (1975) Estrogen actions on syntheses of macromolecules in target cells. In Litwack G (ed): Biochemical Actions of Hormones III. Academic Press, New York, pp 187–243
Kember NF (1960) Cell division in endochondral ossification: a study of cell proliferation in rat bones by the method of tritiated thymidine autoradiography. J Bone Joint Surg 42B:824–839
Tonna EA (1961) The cellular complement of the skeletal system studied autoradiographically with tritiated thymidine (H3TDR) during growth and aging. J Biophys Biochem Cytol 9:813–824
Young RW (1962) Cell proliferation and specialization during endochondral osteogenesis in young rats. J Cell Biol 14:357–370
Owen M (1963) Cell population kinetics of an osteogenetic tissue. J Cell Biol 19:19–32
Owen M (1970) The origin of bone cells. Int Rev Cytol 28:213–238
Simmons DJ (1963) Cellular changes in the bones of mice as studied with tritiated thymidine and the effects of estrogen. Clin Orthop 26:176–184
Warshawsky H, Moore G (1967) A technique for the fixation and decalcification of rat incisors for electron microscopy. J Histochem Cytochem 15:542–549
Clermont C (1977) The effect of estrogen on the hematology and erythropoietic activity of the Japanese quail. Thesis, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Ehrlich HP, Ross R, Bernstein P (1974) Effects of antimicrotubular agents on the secretion of collagen: a biochemical and morphological study. J Cell Biol 62:390–405
Landauer W, Zondek B (1944) Observations on the structure of bone in estrogen treated cocks and drakes. Am J Pathol 20:179–209
Simmons DJ, Pankovich AM (1964) Estrogen induced intramedullary bone formation in Japanese quail. Endocrinology 74:646–648
Dustin P (1978) Microtubules. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Orsini MW, Pansky B (1952) The natural resistance of the Golden Hamster to colchicine. Science 115:88–89
Fisher LW, Schraer H (1980) The glycosaminoglycans of estrogen-induced medullary bone in Japanese quail. Arch Biochem Biophys 205:396–403
Vander Wiel CJ, Grubb SA, Talmage RV (1978) The presence of lining cell surfaces of human trabecular bone. Clin Orthop 134:350–355
Owen M (1978) Histogenesis of bone cells. Calcif Tissue Res 25:205–207
Trueta J (1963) The role of vessels in osteogenesis. J Bone Joint Surg 45-B:402–418
Trueta J (1968) Studies of the Development and Decay of the Human Frame. WB Saunders Co, Philadelphia
Scott BL (1967) Thymidine-3H electron microscope radioautography of osteogenic cells in the fetal rat. J Cell Biol 35:115–126
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kusuhara, S., Schraer, H. Cytology and autoradiography of estrogen-induced differentiation of avian endosteal cells. Calcif Tissue Int 34, 352–358 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02411267
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02411267