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Probable persistence of the remains of a Rouget‐Neumann sheath into the canalicular system of ancient human bone
Author(s) -
Capasso Luigi,
Tota Gabriella Di
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
international journal of osteoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1099-1212
pISSN - 1047-482X
DOI - 10.1002/oa.1390030108
Subject(s) - metachromasia , staining , toluidine , anatomy , persistence (discontinuity) , ground substance , vital stain , lamella (surface anatomy) , glycosaminoglycan , chemistry , biology , pathology , medicine , geology , geotechnical engineering , connective tissue
Examining histological sections obtained from human bones from Iron Age archaeological excavations (about third to fifth century BC , Alfedena and Sulmona, central Italy), the authors show the presence of an amorphous, afibrillary substance inside the osseous canaliculus in decalcified sections. This substance has shown unusual chromaffinity to staining using the Schmorl method with thionine and phosphowolframic acid. It is probably formed by acid mucopolysaccharides obtained from a transitory betametachromasia with toluidine blue staining at neutral pH. This metachromasia persists after digestion in bacterial collagenesis, but disappears after digestion in bovine testicular jaluronidasis. These reactions indicate that the endocanalicular substance may represent well‐kept remains of a Rouget‐Neumann sheath, which surrounds cytoplasmic extensions of osteocytes.