Changes in the content of the fibrillar collagens and the expression of their mRNAs in the menisci of the rabbit knee joint during development and ageing |
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Authors: | Yvette S Bland and Doreen E Ashhurst |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Anatomy, St George's Hospital Medical School, Tooting, SW17 0RE London, UK |
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Abstract: | Summary The menisci are first seen as triangular aggregations of cells in the 20-day rabbit fetus. At 25-days, a matrix that contains
types I, III and V collagens has formed. These collagens are also found in the 1-week neonatal meniscus, but by 3 weeks, type
II collagen is present in some regions. By 12 to 14 weeks, typically cartilaginous areas with large cells in lacunae are found
and by 2 years, these occupy the central regions of the inner two-thirds of the meniscus. The surface layers of the meniscus
contain predominantly type I collagen. From 12 to 14 weeks onwards, there is little overlap between the regions with types
I or II collagens, that is, these are discrete regions of type I-containing fibrocartilage and type II-containing cartilage.
Types III and V collagens are found throughout the menisci, particularly in the pericellular regions.
All the cells in the fetal and early neonatal menisci express the mRNA for type I collagen. At 3 weeks postnatal, cells that
express type I collagen mRNA are found throughout the meniscus, but type II collagen mRNA is expressed only in the regions
of developing cartilage. At 12- to 14-weeks, only type II collagen mRNA is expressed, except at the periphery next to the
ligament where a few cells still express type I collagen mRNA. Rabbit menisci, therefore, undergo profound changes in their
content and arrangement of collagens during postnatal development. |
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Keywords: | |
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