These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Localization and distribution of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in the rat intervertebral disc.
    Author: Ishii Y, Thomas AO, Guo XE, Hung CT, Chen FH.
    Journal: Spine (Phila Pa 1976); 2006 Jun 15; 31(14):1539-46. PubMed ID: 16778685.
    Abstract:
    STUDY DESIGN: Whole rat intervertebral disc (IVD), as well as the anulus fibrosus (AF) and the nucleus pulposus (NP) were studied using immunoblot, immunohistochemistry, and reverse-transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods to investigate the expression and distribution of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP). OBJECTIVES: To investigate the expression and distribution patterns of COMP in normal IVD. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: COMP is an extracellular matrix protein abundantly expressed in articular and growth plate cartilage, as well as bone, ligament, tendon, and synovium. The potential importance of COMP to the spine has been underscored by its mutations that lead to skeletal dysplasia with characteristic platyspondyly. However, the expression and distribution of COMP in spine and IVD has not been illustrated before. METHODS: The presence of COMP protein was investigated by immunoblotting using a COMP antibody F8 on protein extractions from whole IVD and AF or NP. To compare the expression levels of COMP between lumbar and tail IVDs, and between AF and NP of the IVD, wet weight of the tissues were used for normalization. To show that COMP can be made by IVD cells in situ, RT-PCR was used to investigate the COMP mRNA message. The distribution patterns of COMP in IVD were investigated using immunohistochemistry studies with COMP antibody F8. RESULTS: COMP is expressed at both the protein and mRNA levels in both the AF and NP of both the lumbar spine and tail IVD. Immunohistochemistry studies show that COMP is found in the extracellular matrix of the IVD, exhibiting lamellar distribution pattern in the AF region. When normalized to wet weight, COMP is found to be expressed at higher levels in the lumbar than the tail IVD, and within the IVD, greater in the AF than the NP region. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the expression of COMP in both the AF and NP of the IVD. COMP is a component of the extracellular matrix of AF and NP, with a lamellar distribution pattern in the AF. Our data suggest that COMP may play a role in the normal structure of IVD.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]