Growth retardation is a common manifestation of chronic renal failure
in children. To gain insight into the alterations of bone growth plate
of chronic uremia, a morphometric study of tibia proximal growth plat
e was performed in 5/6 nephrectomized rats (NX, n = 4) and sham animal
s (SHAM, n = 4). Toluidine blue stained sagittal sections (5 - 6 pm) f
rom ethanol-fixed and methylmethacrylate-embedded tibias were analyzed
. Widths (X +/- SEM) of growth plate (GPW), proliferative (PZW) and hy
pertrophic zones (HZW) were calculated. Results were as follows: [GRAP
HICS] Growth plate modifications in uremia are rather due to alteratio
ns in the hypertrophic than proliferative zone. This is consistent wit
h an abnormal metabolism of condrocytes as shown by a lower mean area
of extracellular matrix (EMA) per cell in the hypertrophic zone of the
NX rats (0.23 vs. 0.58 mu m(2)).