• Applied Microscopy
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 1996

This study was designed to observe the ultrastructure of synoviocytes which are concerned with phagocytic function in the knee joint of the human. The synovia were dissected and were fixed for two hours in 0.2% glutaraldehyde and 4% paraformaldehyde solution and processed and finally infused in 2.3 M sucrose and 20% PVP solution. The tissues were cut with the cryoultramicrotome and labelled with primary antibodies (anti-tubulin, anti-vimentin) and secondary antibody-6 nm colloidal gold particles. The tissues were observed under transmission electronmicroscope. The results were followings. 1. In phagocytic synovial cells, the distributions of tubulin were cytoplasm, especially around vacuoles. 2. In phagocytic synovial cells, the distributions of vimentin were cytoplasm. 3. Both tubulin and vimentin were not located inside of vacuoles. On the basis of above findings, it is obvious that the phagocytic functions are concerned with tubulin, and the phagocytic synovial cells contain vimentin.