ヒト黄色じん帯（ｌｉｇａｍｅｎｔｕｍ ｆｌａｖｕｍ）の生後発育と加齢的変化についての病理組織学的研究

Abstract

Thickened or ossified ligamentum flavurn are taking interested in orthopedic surgeon srecently, because of much of these patients are liaiable to complain the spinal cord or cauda equina compression syndrome. The author performed to investigate the postnatal development and these changed ligamentum flavum with aging by light microscopically and electron micro-scopically.Besides histochemical localization in the ligamentum flavum was examined by means of Alkaline phosphatase, Acid phosphatase, and Adenosine triphosphatase as well as collagenase digestion and elastase digestion methods.Furthermore yellow pigment of the ligamentum flavum was identified with thin layer chromatography.Results: 1) In a newborn stage of the ligamentum flavum, specimens showed much collagenous fibrils, stained strongly positive by PAM, and sparse elastic fibers.2) The elastic fibers in a newborn stage appeared as an aggregation of PAM-positive microgranules mainly in PAM-negative collagenous matrix and in partly collagenous fibrils. It was clearly defined these microgranules in initial stages as PAM-positive amorphous material after elastase digestion. It was noticed that the PAM stain was most adequate method for staining these elastic fibers in a very initial stage, compared with other staining methods.3) The elastic fibers contained PAM-positive microfibrillar component in its interior, which was thought to be deformed collagenous fibrils in stages from newborn to adolescent. Wheas, that in a stage of adult or later did not contain those fillamentous material, but electron dense granular substance.4) In the matured elastic fibers, the author found clearly the microfibrillar layer in periphery of them. It was confirmed that the microfibrillar layers consisted of microfibrils as well as amorphous material, should be called “microfibrillar ground substance.”5) With double staining method after collagenase digestion, the author found the microfibrils clearly defined and the microfibrillar ground substance widened. With PAM stain after this digestion, PAM-positive materials disappeared in elastic fibers.6) With using double staining method after elastase digestion, vesiculation was observed in elastic fibers of an infantile stage. In elastic fibers in an adult stage, the enhancement of interior fillamentous or reticular materials was noticed, but the microfibrillar layers were not digested by elastase. The microgranules, stained strongly positive by PAM stain, remained unchanged in PAM stain after the digestion.7) Based on these data, it is presumably apparent that the elastase digests neither the elastic fibers completely nor microfibrillar layers, but does main elements partially. Opposed to asumption, it is realized that the collagenase does not give any significant alterations, but does the elastic fibers some changes to a certain extent, as far as objected by PAM stain.8) It was found that the yellow pigments of the ligamentum flavum may be equivalent to riboflavin and flavin mononucleotide (FMN).