Interaction between macrophages and articular surfaces: an in vitro transmission and scanning electron microscopy...

Interactions between macrophages and articular surfaces were studied in an in vitro model which has been described before. Either stimulated peritoneal macrophages or a purified population of bone marrow macrophages were incubated with mice femoral heads which were either untreated or were digested with collagenase, trypsin or hyaluronidase prior to incubation. Scanning electron microscopy (EM) examination showed that macrophages attached to the surface and in their vicinity tags and fibers were visible. Transmission EM was used after labeling the surfaces with cationized ferritin employed as a sensitive marker to define the integrity of the articular surface. Alterations of the surface of various degrees of intensity were seen in all the sections examined. No adhering macrophages were found, due probably to detachment of cells during tissue processing for transmission EM. Attachment of macrophages to the surface and alterations of the latter were seen also when hyaluronic acid was added to the incubation medium or when the surfaces had been treated with hyaluronidase before incubation.