Immunolocalization of cathepsin B in chondrocytes and osteoclasts in equine dyschondroplasia (osteochondrosis

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GUSTAVO HERNÁNDEZ VIDAL
ALEJANDRO VALDÉS MARTÍNEZ
FRANCISCO MORA VALDÉZ
JORGE KAWAS GARZA
RAFAEL RAMÍREZ ROMERO
ELIZABETH DAVIES
LEO JEFFCOTT

Abstract

THE ENZYME CATHEPSIN B WAS IMMUNOLOCALIZED BY IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE IN ARTICULAR CARTILAGE AND SUBCHONDRAL BONE IN BOTH NORMAL AND DYSCHONDROPLASTIC SAMPLES OBTAINED FROM YOUNG HORSES AGED, 1-5 YEARS OLD. DISTRIBUTION OF THE ENZYME WAS VARIABLE IN DYSCHONDROPLASTIC CARTILAGE DUE TO A GENERAL LACK OF ZONAL ORGANIZATION. A STRONG INTRACELLULAR IMMUNOREACTION WAS OBSERVED IN ABNORMAL CHONDROCYTES ARRANGED IN CLUSTERS IN ALL OF THE ZONES OF THE DYSCHONDROPLASTIC CARTILAGE. CONVERSELY, IN NORMAL ARTICULAR CARTILAGE THE EXPRESSION OF CATHEPSIN B WAS LOW AT THE ARTICULAR SURFACE AS WELL AS THE MID ZONE BUT HIGHER IN THE MAJORITY OF CHONDROCYTES AT THE DEEP ZONE. NO MORPHOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN OSTEOCLASTS OF NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL SAMPLES.
Keywords:
HORSE CHONDROCYTES CATHEPSIN B OSTEOCLASTS DYSCONDROPLASIA OSTEOCHONDROSIS

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