MORPHOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PROCESSES OF NUCLEUS PULPOSUS CELLS IN ADULT HUMAN INTERVERTEBRAL DISC / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore morphologic characterizatics of cellular processes from adult human nucleus pulposus cells. Methods The nucleus pulposus of adult human intervertebral disc were obtained from 8 patients(Thompson's grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ) and then the tissues specimens were carried out by frozen section and electron microscopic section as well as cell isolation and cultured,processes of nucleus pulposus cells were examined using light microscopy,laser scanning confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Results When examined at both the confocal and electron microscope level,all the cells possessed the processes and adjacent nucleus pulposus cells processes possessed a gap junction.The elongated and round cells were examined when NP cells became monolayer in vitro.The rate of elongated cells to round cells was 2.3 to 1.The elongated cells protruded along with the long axis of cell body without second processes.Dendritic processes of round cells protruded to all directions from the cell body with multiple-level processes.Conclusion Processes are one of the morphologic characteristics of intervertebral disc cells.The research on processes functions could be helpful to understand pathomechanism of intervertebral disc degradation.