Chondroitin Sulfate in Human Cutaneous Meissner and Pacinian Sensory Corpuscles

• Published in: Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) Vol. 302; no. 2; pp. 325 - 331
• Main Authors: García‐Piqueras, Jorge, Carcaba, Lucia, García‐Mesa, Yolanda, Feito, Jorge, García, Beatriz, Viña, E., Suárez‐Quintanilla, Juan, Cobo, Juan, Vega, Jose A., García‐Suárez, Olivia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.02.2019; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Axon guidance; CD34 antigen; Child; Chondroitin sulfate; Chondroitin Sulfates - metabolism; Corpuscles; Extracellular matrix; Functional morphology; Ganglia, Sensory - metabolism; human; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; intermediate layer; Mechanoreceptors - metabolism; Mechanotransduction; Mechanotransduction, Cellular; Meissner corpuscles; Middle Aged; Pacinian corpuscles; Pacinian Corpuscles - metabolism; Peripheral nerves; Peripheral Nerves - metabolism; Reinnervation; S100 protein; Skin - metabolism; Vimentin; Young Adult; Meissner corpuscles; human; chondroitin sulfate; intermediate layer; extracellular matrix; Pacinian corpuscles
• ISSN: 1932-8486; 1932-8494
• DOI: 10.1002/ar.23951

ABSTRACT Chondroitin sulfate is a glycosaminoglycan involved in maintaining the morphofunctional properties of the extracellular matrix in peripheral nerves, but its distribution in human sensory corpuscles is unknown despite the role of extracellular matrix in mechanotransduction and axonal guidance. In this study we used immunohistochemistry to analyze the distribution of chondroitin sulfate in human cutaneous Meissner and Pacinian corpuscles. Chondroitin sulfate expression was absent from Meissner corpuscles. In Pacinian corpuscles chondroitin sulfate was found associated to a CD34 positive endoneurial‐related layer, interposed between the S100 protein positive inner core cells, and the vimentin positive inner core and outer core‐capsule cells. Therefore, the intermediate CD34+/chondroitin sulfate+ intermediate layer present in Pacinian corpuscles isolates the neural segment of the corpuscles (axon and inner core) from the non‐neural segments (outer core and capsule). These results suggest a role of chondroitin sulfate in the proper axonal growth and guidance, within the neuronal compartment of the Pacinian corpuscles during development and reinnervation, can be hypothesized. Moreover, a role of CS in mechanotransduction cannot be ruled out. Anat Rec, 302:325–331, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.