Histochemical and morphological characterization of reticular fibers

The results presented in this paper show that collagen fibers can be clearly distinguished from reticular fibers using the picrosirius-polarization method. A morphologic and morphometric study of these two types of fibers with electron microscopy shows that reticular fibers are characterized by the smaller diameter of their fibrillar components and the higher content of interfibrillar material, resulting in a loose arrangement of the fibrils. The evidences presented suggest that the amorphous matrix in which fibrils are embedded is responsible for the silver impregnation of reticular fibers. Our results show that the matrix of reticular fibers is characteristically rich in heparitin sulfate, and that the glycosaminoglycans present show a high interaction with the fibrillar component of these fibers.