Sensory innervation of the cat knee articular capsule and cruciate ligament visualised using anterogradely transported wheat germ agglutinin–horseradish peroxidase

摘要: Wheat germ agglutinin–horseradish peroxidase conjugate (WGA–HRP) was injected into the dorsal root ganglia (L5–S1) of cat and used as an anterograde tracer substance for intra-axonal labelling peripheral nerve endings in joint capsule cranial (anterior) cruciate ligament (CCL). We believed that high specificity WGA–HRP neural tissue along with visibility its reaction product could help resolve controversies concerning sensory innervation ligaments. Substantial amounts were transported tibial axons to level knee. However, using standard HRP histochemistry we found capsular synovia disintegrated during incubation reaction. This problem avoided by air drying slices on glass slides prior Abundant occurred posterior dense filling terminal endings. Sensory displayed features consistent Ruffini pacinian corpuscles. located throughout CCL sagittal plane, subsynovial layers between collagen fascicles. In each observed 5–17 ovoid elongated arborisations. These 100 150 μm long, encapsulated, gave rise 1 or 2 axons. Large (up 1.5 mm maximum extent) regions dense, inhomogeneous body several CCLs. resembled Golgi tendon-like endings, exception their large size. conclude transport knee is a useful technique mechanoreceptors tissue. recently developed immunohistochemical analysis protein gene 9.5 appears be method choice should employed further study human animal innervation.