A light microscopical study was conducted to ascertain the type of cells in the nucleus pulposus of theadult human intervertrebral disc. Three lumbar intervertebral discs were removed from each of 15 male and femaleadults at autopsy (ages ranged from 19 to 62 years). The tissue was fixed in formalin, decalcified in formic acid, dehydrated in a graded series of ethanol, embedded in paraffin, and serially sectioned at 7–10 µm. Tissue sectionswere affixed to albuminized glass slides and stained either by hematoxylin and eosin or hematoxylin and VanGieson’s stain. The cells of the bulk of the nucleus pulposus consisted of chondrocytes and a few fibroblasts;however, the subchondral matrix of the nucleus pulposos contained numerous stellate cells with (from 1 to 8)unusually long (up to 80 µm) primary cytoplasmic porcesses that often branch into secondary processes. The cellprocesses contained cytoplasmic varicosities at various intervals along their lengths; and their endings oftenexpanded into bulbous, vesicle-filled process terminals. The surrounding extracellular matrix usually containednumerous, vesicle-filled, eosinophil matrix bodies. Morphological similarities of cytoplasmic varicosities, processterminals, and matrix bodies, as well as the apparent budding of process terminals, suggest that these previouslyunidentified cells are secreting an unknown matrix component into the subchondral matrix of the nucleus pulposusof the adult human. *

Keywords:
Bulbous process terminal, Chondrocyte, Intermediate type cell, Intervertebral disc, Matrix body, Nucleus pulposus, Secretory cell, Stellate cell, Subchondral matrix, Varicosities
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© 1986 S. Karger AG, Basel
1986
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