PRE-ELASTIC (OXYTALAN) FIBERS IN DEVELOPING ELASTIC CARTILAGE OF EXTERNAL EAR OF RAT

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  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 123  (JUL) , 735-743
Abstract
The differentiation of elastic cartilage in the rat external ear oxytalan fibers were studied. Paraffin sections of the external ear of 15-21 day old embryos and of 0-4 day old albino rats of the inbred Fischer strain were stained with Gomori''s aldehyde fuchsin with and without previous oxidation with peracetic acid, and in combination with the digestion with 0.01% elastase and 0.05% testicular hyaluronidase. Gomoriis Ag impregnation of reticular fibers and Mallory''s aniline blue collagen stain were used as controls. The oxytalan fibers appeared in the developing external ear cartilage of the rat about 1 wk before the appearance of true elastic fibers. The oxytalan fibers were precursors of mature elastic fibers in the cartilage of the rat external ear and were regarded as pre-elastic fibers in this tissue.