Mechanism and significance of Meckel's cartilage disappearance

在小鼠Meckel‘s软骨发育过程中，仅在1)间充质凝集和2)软骨膜检测到细胞凋亡。在Meckel‘s软骨细胞中未发现凋亡细胞，因此，细胞凋亡不参与Meckel’s软骨的退变。由于大量的增殖和分化发生在1)和2)区域，细胞凋亡可能在Meckel‘s软骨发育的软骨细胞分化过程中发挥重要作用。抑制细胞凋亡可导致Meckel‘s软骨异型增生。此外，脂肪酸结合蛋白(FABP)在Meckel‘s软骨和生长板软骨中的免疫定位，表皮型FABP仅在未钙化软骨基质的吸收细胞中的隔裂细胞中表达。

During the development of mouse Meckel's cartilage, apoptosis was detected limitedly at 1) the mesenchymal condensation and 2) the perichondrium. No apoptotic cells were found in Meckel's chondrocytes; therefore, apoptosis does not participate in the degeneration of Meckel's cartilage. Because substantial proliferation and differentiation occur in the area of 1) and 2), apoptosis may play important roles in chondroblast differentiation for the development of Meckel's cartilage. Inhibition of apoptosis induced the dysplasia of Meckel's cartilage. In addition, immunolocalization of fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) in Meckel's and the growth plate cartilages, epidermal type FABP was exclusively expressed in the septoclast, a absorbing cells of uncalcified cartilage matrix.