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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Culture of Murine Embryonic Metatarsals: A Physiological Model of Endochondral Ossification

Culture of Murine Embryonic Metatarsals: A Physiological Model of Endochondral Ossification

Published on: December 3, 2016

Estrogen deficiency leads to decrease in chondrocyte numbers in the rabbit growth plate.

Hiroyuki Takano¹, Toshimi Aizawa, Taichi Irie

¹Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Sendai, Japan.

Journal of Orthopaedic Science : Official Journal of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association

|July 28, 2007

Summary

Estrogen deficiency in rabbits led to larger long bones but fewer growth plate chondrocytes. This was due to reduced cell proliferation and increased chondrocyte apoptosis, impacting growth plate development.

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Area of Science:

Endocrinology
Skeletal Biology
Cell Biology

Background:

Sex hormones, particularly estrogen, are crucial for regulating chondrocyte behavior in the pubertal growth plate.
Estrogen's precise role in growth plate chondrocyte kinetics remains incompletely understood.
This study aimed to elucidate the impact of estrogen deficiency on growth plate chondrocytes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effects of estrogen deficiency on the cell kinetics of growth plate chondrocytes.
To analyze changes in chondrocyte proliferation and apoptosis following ovariectomy.

Main Methods:

Growth plates from normal and ovariectomized rabbits (10-25 weeks) were analyzed.
Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect caspase-3 (apoptosis marker) and PCNA (proliferation marker).

Main Results:

Ovariectomized rabbits exhibited larger femur length and growth plate height compared to controls.
A reduced number of chondrocytes was observed in ovariectomized rabbits.
Ovariectomy increased caspase-3 positive cells (apoptosis) and decreased PCNA positive cells (proliferation) in growth plate chondrocytes.

Conclusions:

Estrogen deficiency, induced by ovariectomy, decreases the chondrocyte population in the growth plate.
This reduction is attributed to diminished chondrocyte proliferation and potentially accelerated apoptosis.
Estrogen plays a significant role in maintaining chondrocyte numbers and regulating growth plate dynamics.