Depth-varying density and organization of chondrocytes in immature and mature bovine articular cartilage assessed by 3D imaging and analysis

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Jadin, Kyle D.¹; Wong, Benjamin L.¹; Bae, Won C.¹; Li, Kelvin W.¹; Williamson, Amanda K.¹; Schumacher, Barbara L.¹; Price, Jeffrey H.¹; Sah, Robert L.¹

Depth-varying density and organization of chondrocytes in immature and mature bovine articular cartilage assessed by 3D imaging and analysis

J Histochem Cytochem. September 2005;53(9):1109-1119

© The Histochemical Society, Inc.

Affiliations

¹Department of Bioengineering, University of California–San Diego, La Jolla, California
Abstract and keywords

Articular cartilage is a heterogeneous tissue, with cell density and organization varying with depth from the surface. The objectives of the present study were to establish a method for localizing individual cells in three-dimensional (3D) images of cartilage and quantifying depth-associated variation in cellularity and cell organization at different stages of growth. Accuracy of nucleus localization was high, with 99% sensitivity relative to manual localization. Cellularity (million cells per cm³) decreased from 290, 310, and 150 near the articular surface in fetal, calf, and adult samples, respectively, to 120, 110, and 50 at a depth of 1.0 mm. The distance/angle to the nearest neighboring cell was 7.9 μm/31°, 7.1 μm/31°, and 9.1 μm/31° for cells at the articular surface of fetal, calf, and adult samples, respectively, and increased/decreased to 11.6 μm/31°, 12.0 μm/30°, and 19.2 μm/25° at a depth of 0.7 mm. The methodologies described here may be useful for analyzing the 3D cellular organization of cartilage during growth, maturation, aging, degeneration, and regeneration.

Keywords: three-dimensional imaging; cartilage; cell organization; chondrocyte; development; growth; histology; nucleus
Links

DOI: 10.1369/jhc.4A6511.2005

PubMed: 15879579

WoS: 000231580300006
History

Received: 2004-08-24

Accepted: 2005-03-15

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