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Journal of anatomy2015; 228(1); 162-175; doi: 10.1111/joa.12391

Discontinuities in the endothelium of epiphyseal cartilage canals and relevance to joint disease in foals.

Abstract: Cartilage canals have been shown to contain discontinuous blood vessels that enable circulating bacteria to bind to cartilage matrix, leading to vascular occlusion and associated pathological changes in pigs and chickens. It is also inconsistently reported that cartilage canals are surrounded by a cellular or acellular wall that may influence whether bacterial binding can occur. It is not known whether equine cartilage canals contain discontinuous endothelium or are surrounded by a wall. This study aimed to examine whether there were discontinuities in the endothelium of cartilage canal vessels, and whether canals had a cellular or acellular wall, in the epiphyseal growth cartilage of foals. Epiphyseal growth cartilage from the proximal third of the medial trochlear ridge of the distal femur from six healthy foals that were 1, 24, 35, 47, 118 and 122 days old and of different breeds and sexes was examined by light microscopy (LM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunohistochemistry. The majority of patent cartilage canals contained blood vessels that were lined by a thin layer of continuous endothelium. Fenestrations were found in two locations in one venule in a patent cartilage canal located deep in the growth cartilage and close to the ossification front in the 118-day-old foal. Chondrifying cartilage canals in all TEM-examined foals contained degenerated endothelial cells that were detached from the basement membrane, resulting in gap formation. Thirty-three percent of all canals were surrounded by a hypercellular rim that was interpreted as contribution of chondrocytes to growth cartilage. On LM, 69% of all cartilage canals were surrounded by a ring of matrix that stained intensely eosinophilic and consisted of collagen fibres on TEM that were confirmed to be collagen type I by immunohistochemistry. In summary, two types of discontinuity were observed in the endothelium of equine epiphyseal cartilage canal vessels: fenestrations were observed in a patent cartilage canal in the 118-day-old foal; and gaps were observed in chondrifying cartilage canals in all TEM-examined foals. Canals were not surrounded by any cellular wall, but a large proportion was surrounded by an acellular wall consisting of collagen type I. Bacterial binding can therefore probably occur in horses by mechanisms that are similar to those previously demonstrated in pigs and chickens.
© 2015 The Authors. Journal of Anatomy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the Anatomical Society.
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Publication Date: 2015-10-15 PubMed ID: 26471892PubMed Central: PMC4694163DOI: 10.1111/joa.12391Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study explores the structure of cartilage canals in young horses, specifically looking at the endothelium of these canals and how they might relate to bacterial infections leading to joint diseases. It was found that some of these canals are discontinuous, allowing bacteria to potentially bind to them, similar to observations in pigs and chickens.

Study Purpose and Methodology

  • The objective of the study was to investigate the endothelium of cartilage canals in the growth cartilage of foals. This exploration was guided by the assumption that these canals may have discontinuous endothelium and whether these canals are surrounded by a cellular or acellular wall.
  • The research analyzed the epiphyseal growth cartilage from six healthy foals of different breeds and sexes with varying ages, ranging from 1 to 122 days. The medium of study included light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry.

Findings

  • The majority of patent cartilage canals contained blood vessels that were lined by a thin layer of continuous endothelium.
  • On deeper examination, some discontinuity in the endothelium of these canals was found. This was noticed at two locations in a venule in one of the older foals (118 days old). This cartilage canal was located deep in the growth cartilage, close to the ossification front, an area where bone formation is taking place.
  • In addition, cartilage canals undergoing a process called chondrification were found to contain degenerated endothelial cells that have detached from the basement membrane, leaving gaps.
  • About 33% of canals had a hypercellular rim surrounding them, which was interpreted as a solution of chondrocytes to cartilage growth.
  • Visually, almost 70% of all cartilage canals were surrounded by a ring of matrix that stained intensely eosinophilic and contained collagen fibers. Further tests confirmed these to be collagen type I.

Implications

  • The study found two types of discontinuity in the endothelium of equine epiphyseal cartilage canal vessels.
  • It was also found that canals were not surrounded by any cellular wall, but a substantial number were surrounded by an acellular wall consisting primarily of collagen type I.
  • These findings suggest the potential for bacterial binding in these canals, akin to mechanisms previously demonstrated in pigs and chickens. This means that the breach in the endothelium may enable circulating bacteria to attach to cartilage matrix, which could lead to vascular occlusion and associated pathological changes.

Conclusion

  • The understanding of these structural details of cartilage canals could boost knowledge related to joint diseases in foals, particularly those associated with bacterial infections.
  • More research is necessary to definitively establish the correlation between these discontinuous canals and susceptibility to bacterial binding and subsequent joint diseases.

Cite This Article

APA
Hellings IR, Ekman S, Hultenby K, Dolvik NI, Olstad K. (2015). Discontinuities in the endothelium of epiphyseal cartilage canals and relevance to joint disease in foals. J Anat, 228(1), 162-175. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12391

Publication

Journal of anatomy
ISSN: 1469-7580
NlmUniqueID: 0137162
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 228
Issue: 1
Pages: 162-175

Researcher Affiliations

Hellings, Ingunn Risnes
  • Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Equine Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
Ekman, Stina
  • Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Section of Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
Hultenby, Kjell
  • Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden.
Dolvik, Nils Ivar
  • Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Equine Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
Olstad, Kristin
  • Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Equine Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Cartilage, Articular / anatomy & histology
  • Cartilage, Articular / blood supply
  • Collagen Type I / analysis
  • Endothelium / anatomy & histology
  • Femur Head / anatomy & histology
  • Growth Plate / anatomy & histology
  • Growth Plate / blood supply
  • Horse Diseases / pathology
  • Horses / anatomy & histology
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Joint Diseases / pathology
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Regional Blood Flow

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Olstad K, Aasmundstad T, Kongsro J, Grindflek E. Osteochondrosis and other lesions in all intervertebral, articular process and rib joints from occiput to sacrum in pigs with poor back conformation, and relationship to juvenile kyphosis. BMC Vet Res 2022 Jan 18;18(1):44.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-021-03091-6pubmed: 35042517google scholar: lookup
  2. Hendrickson EHS, Lykkjen S, Dolvik NI, Olstad K. Prevalence of osteochondral lesions in the fetlock and hock joints of Standardbred horses that survived bacterial infection before 6 months of age. BMC Vet Res 2018 Dec 10;14(1):390.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-018-1726-3pubmed: 30526583google scholar: lookup
  3. Finnøy A, Olstad K, Lilledahl MB. Non-linear optical microscopy of cartilage canals in the distal femur of young pigs may reveal the cause of articular osteochondrosis. BMC Vet Res 2017 Aug 22;13(1):270.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1197-ypubmed: 28830435google scholar: lookup
  4. Hellings IR, Dolvik NI, Ekman S, Olstad K. Cartilage canals in the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia of fetuses and foals are surrounded by different types of collagen. J Anat 2017 Oct;231(4):615-625.
    doi: 10.1111/joa.12650pubmed: 28620929google scholar: lookup
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