Structural characteristics of the bone-tendon junction of triceps surae muscle of the adult and old Wistar rats: Light microscope, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope study

Author(s)

Diego Pulzatto Cury

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ/SBD)
• Defense date: 2013-12-18

Examining board members

Ii Sei Watanabe; José Roberto Kfoury Junior; Miguel Carlos Madeira

• Advisor: Ii Sei Watanabe

Abstract

Tendons are transition tissues of contractile forces generated by muscles and transferring to bone, generating this way move. The region where tendon attach to bone is called bone-tendon junction or enthesis. These junctions can be classified as fibrous or fibrocartilaginous, the fibrous are those in which tendons/ligaments are attached in the shaft (diaphysis) of the long bones and fibrocartilaginous attachment occur in the epiphyses of the long bones or short bones. This study aims to analyze collagen fibers and the cells present in the bone-tendon junction, using light microscope with Hematoxylineosin, Azocarmine, Picrosirius red and Masson\'s trichrome staining and ultrastructural aspects using scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope methods. Thirty male Wistar rats were using, 15 adults rats at 4 months-old (A group) and 15 old rats at 18 months-old (B group), were used 5 rats of each group to light microscopy, 5 rats to scanning electron microscopy and 5 rats to transmission electron microscopy. The hind limbs of the rats were removed, dissected and demineralized using 7% EDTA solution to light microscopy and 0,15M pH 7,4 EDTA solution to transmission electron microscopy for 4 weeks, was not necessary demineralize the samples to scanning electron microscopy. Cut in slices 6 m thickness were made and mounted on histological slides to analyze in light microscope, freeze-fracture technique with liquid nitrogen was performed to analysis in scanning electron microscope and cuts in slices 60 nm thickness were made, mounted on copper grids (200-mesh - EMS) to analysis in transmission electron microscope. The aging process showed changes of the collagen fibrils, in which type I predominates on adult groups and the type III on the old group, decrease in the amount of the fibrocartilage cells, few and short cytoplasmic processes of this cells and a decreased synthesis capacity due a small Golgi apparatus, a few cisternae of rough endoplasmatic reticulum and few mitochondria. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/03280-1 - Structural and ultrastructural characteristics of the bone-tendon junction of the triceps surae of Wistar rat adults and elderly: Study in light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.
• Grantee: Diego Pulzatto Cury
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master