The presence and degradation of nerve fibers in articular cartilage of neonatal rats

PURPOSE: To investigate the presence and change of nerve fibers and neuropeptide during early development of articular cartilage in neonatal rats. METHODS: Articular cartilage in distal-femoral epiphyses was collected from neonatal Sprague Dawley rats, which were 1-day, 5-day, and 10-day postnatal (P1, P5 and P10). Microscopy, immunofluorescence, transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM) were performed for detection of nerve fibers. Quantitative analysis for substance P (SP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) was conducted using immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: TEM showed the existence of myelinated nerve fibers in the extracellular matrix of articular cartilage in both P1, P5 and P10 rats, and they formed synaptic contacts with chondrocytes. During this time, chondrocytes proceeded with their development, and the nerve fibers gradually degraded. The ELISA results showed significant increase of the sensory neuropeptide SP and the sympathetic neuropeptide NPY in the cartilage tissue. Immunofluorescence results showed the distribution of SP and NPY in the perichondrium, the cartilage canals, the plasma of chondrocytes, and extracellular matrix in the cartilage tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Nerve fibers exist in the matrix of articular cartilage during early development of knee joints in neonatal rats. Nerve fibers form synaptic contacts with chondrocytes at the early stage and then degrade gradually in the course of chondrocyte development. SP and NPY significantly increase in articular cartilage during this very period. These results indicate that the nerve fibers and the neuropeptide they secrete may exert important effect on the development of articular cartilage.