1995 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Histological, Histochemical and Immunohistochemical Study on Aging Degeneration
| Project/Area Number |
05671196
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Orthopaedic surgery
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| Research Institution | Tohoku University School |
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Principal Investigator |
KOKUBUN Shoichi Tohoku University School of Medicine Professor, 医学部, 教授 (60186658)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
CHO Tetumori Tohoku University School of Medicine Teaching Staff, 医学部附属病院, 助手 (10250739)
TANI Masataro Tohoku University School of Medicine Teaching Staff, 医学部附属病院, 助手 (50241617)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1993 – 1995
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| Keywords | Cervical spine / Intervertebral disc / Aging / Degeneration / Disc herniation / Cartilage cell / Cell proliferation / Apoptosis |
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| Research Abstract |
1.1993 : (1) Specimens of 135 discs from 41 autopsy cases and 21 surgical specimens of herniated disc were histologically examined. The following pathomechanism was elucidated : Horizontal and vertical cleft formations of the disc and then sepalaion and fragmentation of the cartilaginous endplate lead to disc herniation through the posterior longitudinal ligament. This pathomechanism is similar to that of lumbar disc herniation. Since the Luschka joints in the cervical spine bear a part of the axial load to the intervertebral disc, traumatic factors work less in the production of herniation than degenerative processes. Further, cervical disc herniation was found in 32% of the autopsy sases. This suggests that individuals with herniation but with wide canals are nonmyelopathic.
(2) Proliferation of chondrocytes in degenerative intervertebral discs was verified immunohistochemically by observing expression of PCNA as a marker of proliferating cells.
2.1994 : (1) In 11 discs obtained at cervical operation, chondrocyte proliferation was immunohistochemically examined by observing PCNA and bFGF,and apoptosis was examined by TUNEL method. Proliferating cells were predominant in cleft parts of the nucleus. Apoptotic cell were observed evenly throughout the disc. This is the first observation of apotosis of disc chondrocytes.
3.1995 : (1) Specimens of 27 zygoapophyseal joints from 10 autopsy cases were histologically examined. Articular cartilage of the joints seemed to degenerate with aging and to be most prominent at the C5-6 joints. There were two types of combination of disc and joint degeneration. One is equally advanced degeneration of the disc and the joint. The other is the predominance of disc degeneration over joint degeneration.
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