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Abstract
Digital flexor tendons isolated from 17–18 day embryonic chickens were cultured intact, either on steel mesh grids, or in an apparatus designed to apply a mechanical load to the tissue. Tendons cultured without an applied load continued to synthesize protein and glycosaminoglycans throughout a 7-day period, but DNA synthesis decreased during this time. Increases in both protein and DNA synthesis were observed in tendons experimentally loaded for 48–72 h.
Glycosaminoglycan production by tendons isolated from 17-day embryos was also increased in loaded tendons, sulfated GAG being increased more than hyaluronic acid. The same loading regime applied to tendons from 18-day embryos produced a smaller, yet significant increase in sulfated glycosaminoglycans but hyaluronate production was reduced.
These investigations demonstrate that embryonic chicken tendons can be maintained in a viable state in organ culture and may provide a useful model for studies of the effects of mechanical forces on the synthetic capability and structure of connective tissue cells.