Histochemical Characterization of Inorganic Constituents, Connective Tissue and the Chondroitin Sulfate of Extracellular and Intracellular Compartments of Hyaline Cartilages

Abstract

Procedures were presented for water, electrolytes, (Cl, Na, K, Ca, Mg), total N, collagen N and chondroitin sulfate analyses of hyaline cartilages. The assembled data were presented for the values of cartilages from the respiratory passages, cartilages from the ventral ends of the ribs and cartilages from the surfaces of bones within the joints (articular). These data were utilized to describe the amts. of the extracellular and intracellular solids in 100 g. of total cartilage solids and secondly to characterize the extra- and intracellular phases in a kilo of wet fresh cartilage. The provisional histochemical descriptions were as follows: 100 g. hyaline cartilage solids is composed of an extracellular mass represented by the wt. of the connective tissue solids plus the wt. of the chondroitin sulfate phase and an intracellular mass. The derived data led to the following numerical results: in trachea solids, the extracellular mass(E)s equals 80 g., the intracellular mass, (C) 20 g.;in nasal septa solids, (E)s equals 75 g., (C) 25 g.; in costal solids, (E)s equals 74 g., (C) 26 g.; in articular solids (E)s equals 68 g., (C)s, 32 g. A kg. of wet fresh cartilage is composed of 2 compartments, the extracellular phase and the intracellular phase. For articular cartilage: Extracellular phase (E)t equals 662 g., of which 161 g. are the solids of this phase and 501 g. the water; and an intracellular phase (C)T equals 338 g. of which 74 g. are the solids of this phase and 264 g. the water. For costal cartilage: the (E)T equals 602 g. of which 188 g. are the solids of this phase and 414 g. the water and (C)t equals 398 g. of which 66 g. are the solids of this phase and 332 g. the water.