Myxoid tissue: its morphology, histochemistry, and relationship with other supporting tissues

Myxoid tissue was studied in the supporting organ of the cat epiglottis ("epiglottic cartilage"). Under the light microscope, myxoid tissue was characterized by stellate cells placed into an avascular acidic extracellular matrix. This extracellular matrix was alcianophilic at pH = 2.5, reacting with the colloidal iron stain, and staining metachromatically with toluidine blue O at pH = 5.0. Treatment of sections with testicular hyaluronidase abolished these reactions. In addition, staining persisted after methylation/saponification pretreatment, indicating hyaluronic acid as the main acidic component of myxoid extracellular matrix. Under the electron microscope, myxoid extracellular matrix formed flocculent electron dense precipitates. Stellate myxoid cells were characterized by bundles of intermediate (8 nm) cytoplasmic filaments. Myxoid cells were devoid of a basal lamina, contained a few small lipid droplets, and stored some glycogen. Bundles of collagen fibrils, 80-120 nm in diameter, were seen in myxoid areas. Myxoid cells reacted to S-100 protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and neuron specific enolase. Moreover, in adult animals, myxoid cells stained for neurofilament protein 200. All these markers were also present in chondrocytes of elastic and fibrous cartilage, indicating a close relationship between myxoid cells and chondrocytes. This was supported by the observation of continuous transitional forms of myxoid tissue into elastic or fibrous cartilage. In 8-week-old kittens, the supporting organ of the epiglottis was found mainly to consist of myxoid tissue with only a few interspersed islets of chondrocytes. It is therefore concluded that myxoid tissue can serve as a precursor of cartilage.