Effects of Hypophysectomy on the Occurrence and Calcifiability of Matrix Vesicles in the Epiphyseal Growth Plate of Immature Rats

In the cellular secretion theory of mineral deposition, extracellular matrix vesicles are believed to play an integral role in hard tissue mineralization (1). Membrane limited matrix vesicles arise from the plasma membrane of epiphyseal chondrocytes and tooth odontoblasts by a budding process (2, 3). Nutritional and hormonal factors have been postulated to play essential roles in mineral deposition and apparently have a direct effect on matrix vesicles of calcifying cartilage as concluded by Anderson and Sajdera (4). Immature (75-85 gm) Long-Evans hooded rats were hypophysectomized by the parapharyngeal approach and maintained fourteen (14) days post-surgery. At this time, the animals were anesthetized and perfusion fixed in cacodylate buffered 2.5% glutaraldehyde. The proximal tibias were quickly dissected out and split sagittally. One half was used for light microscopy (LM) and the other for electron microscopy (EM). The halves used for EM were cut into blocks approximately 1×3 mm. The tissue blocks were prepared for ultra-thin sectioning and transmission EM. The tissue was oriented so as to section through the epiphyseal growth plate from the zone of proliferating cartilage on down through the hypertrophic zone and into the initial trabecular bone. Sections were studied stained (double heavy metal) and unstained.