Endochondral calcification by hypertrophic chondrocytes in the Meckel's cartilage grafted into the isogenic mouse spleen.

We found that when the midsection of Meckel's cartilage bars obtained from mice on the eighteenth day of gestation were grafted into isogenic mouse spleen, chondrocytes induced an endochondral calcification. Concurrent with the onset of calcification throughout Meckel's cartilage matrix, periodic banded thick collagen fibrils and matrix vesicles were observed around the chondrocytes. Although most of the chondrocytes prior to grafting were hypertrophic cells, they survived for seven days in the splenic tissue and had well-developed secretory organelles. The cells which were surrounded by calcified matrix were relatively small, spherical, and showed a morphology closely resembling that of osteocytes. These findings suggest that the life span of hypertrophic chondrocytes is influenced by the microenvironment of the spleen.