HYALURONAN IN HUMAN AND RAT MUSCLE-SPINDLES

Previous data on the composition of the periaxial fluid of muscle spin dles have relied on indirect histochemical methods. We used a biotinyl ated hyaluronan-binding protein as a specific probe for the detection of hyaluronan in sections of human and rat limb muscles. Hyaluronan wa s identified in the axial and periaxial space of the muscle spindles a s well as in the endoneurium and in the space in between individual ax ons. Hyaluronan was also present in the innermost layer of the spindle capsule in the A region and in all layers of the capsule in the B reg ion.