Morphological changes of the cartilage and bone in newborn piglets evoked by experimentally induced glucocorticoid excess during pregnancy

Abstract

The study examined articular and growth plate cartilages as well as bone tissues in the offspring of sows treated with glucocorticoid during the last 45 days of pregnancy (dexamethasone at the dose of 0.03 mg/kg body weight intramuscularly, every second day). The offspring were tested at the birth and basal morphology for both articular and growth plate cartilages, and the histomorphometry of trabeculae of the epiphysis and metaphysis of femur and tibia were established. The concentration of selected cytokines and the activity of bone alkaline phosphatase were determined in blood serum. Maternal dexamethasone (DEX) administration reduced the thickness of proliferative, resting and hypertrophic zones of growth plate of femur and tibia of male piglets when compared with the control. DEX significantly reduced the thickness of the resting zone in both bones. It also elongated proliferative and hypertrophic zones of the growth plate in the femur as well as the hypertrophic zone in the tibia of female piglets when compared with the control group. Moreover, DEX decreased the articular cartilage thickness of the tibia in female piglets and enhanced the articular cartilage thickness of the femur in male piglets. Articular cartilage was highly cellular, and chondrocytes were separated by thin septa of matrix. An analysis of the trabecular bone architecture in male piglets showed a loss of the trabecular bone by thinning and DEX-related increase in trabecular porosity. Moreover, the cortical bone looked similar to the trabeculae because of trabecularization of the cortex. There was a DEX that reduced serum osteocalcin and BAP concentrations in both female and male newborn piglets, whereas the serum IL-1 and Il-6 was reduced only in male piglets. The obtained results demonstrated that DEX administration to sows during the last 45 days of pregnancy might cause the growth to slow and eventually to stop, especially in male piglets. It might lead to an alteration within the cartilage during its normal function, and with the time, arthritic changes can follow.

Suppressed osteoclast differentiation at the chondro-osseous junction mediates endochondral ossification retardation in long bones of Wistar fetal rats with prenatal ethanol exposure

“…Osteoclast differentiation is wrecked and the number of osteoclasts is almost zero in osteopetrosis patients due to OPG overexpression (Simonet et al, 1997). RANK-knockout mice also show a similar phenomenon (Tomaszewska et al, 2013). Our present in vivo and in vitro data showed the up-regulated expression of OPG, which was consistent with the decreased osteoclast formation in the fetal bone.…”

A metabolite of leucine (β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate) given to sows during pregnancy alters bone development of their newborn offspring by hormonal modulation

“…The zone of ossification (IV) is the region of cartilage transition to bone. Degeneration and death of chondrocytes occur there [32, 33]. The thickness of the main zones of the articular cartilage, i.e.…”

Effect of Zinc Level and Source (Zinc Oxide Vs. Zinc Glycine) on Bone Mechanical and Geometric Parameters, and Histomorphology in Male Ross 308 Broiler Chicken

“…A Zwick Z010 universal testing machine (Zwick GmbH & Company KG, Ulm, Germany), equipped with a measuring head (Zwick GmbH & Company KG, Ulm, Germany) with an operation range up to 10 kN, linked to a computer with test TestXpert II 3.1 software (Zwick GmbH & Company KG, Ulm, Germany) was used, as previously described (Tomaszewska et al, 2013;Tomaszewska et al, 2015). Maximum elastic strength and ultimate strength were determined as previously described (Ferretti et al, 1993;Tomaszewska et al, 2012).…”

“…Sagittal bone sections were cut perpendicular to the articular surface. The tissue samples were subjected to histology and microscopy procedures, as previously described (Tomaszewska et al, 2013).…”