OBJECTIVE To describe the distribution of elastic fibres in the developing male urethra and to provide stereological data of the concentration of elastic fibres in the human urethra. MATERIALS AND METHODS Urethras were obtained from 10 fresh normal human fetuses at 15-36 weeks of gestation. A place-matched spongy urethra of a 27-year-old normal adult man was also analysed. Samples were fixed ...

Elastic fibres are essential extracellular matrix macromolecules comprising an elastin core surrounded by a mantle of fibrillin-rich microfibrils. They endow connective tissues such as blood vessels, lungs and skin with the critical properties of elasticity and resilience. The biology of elastic fibres is complex because they have multiple components, a tightly regulated developmental depositio...

An immunocytochemical study was conducted on elastic components in the sclera of seven aged human eyes. By conventional electron microscopy, elastic tissue consists of three distinct fibre types--elastic fibres, elaunin fibres, and oxytalan fibres. The distribution of six components associated with the elastic system (elastin, amyloid P component, laminin, fibronectin, gp 115, and vitronectin) ...

The question of the participation of elastic fibres in the hyperplasia of connective tissue has recently aroused a good deal of attention, especially since the discovery of differential stains has made possible the recognition of very delicate elastic fibres. Sclerotic bloodvessels seem to have been first and most extensively studied, with a view to ascertaining not only the fate of the elastic...

Small airways are the major site of airflow obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is attributed to loss of elastin in alveoli and fibrosis in small airways. In the present study, it was hypothesised that changes to elastic fibres in alveoli might be paralleled by a similar reduction in elastic fibres in small airways. Tissue blocks from patients who had lobectomy for...

Elastic fibres, which are intimately associated with collagen, a major component of the urethra, have been assumed to contribute to the resting urethral closure pressure. The Miller stain for elastin was used to demonstrate elastic fibres in cryostat sections of guinea pig bladder base, vesicourethral junction (VUJ) and urethra. Computerised image analysis was employed to objectively quantify t...

BACKGROUND It has been established during recent years that smoking is an independent risk factor for the development of premature facial wrinkling. The underlying mechanism is not well known, but elastic fibres of the dermis seem to be the major target of smoke components. OBJECTIVES To determine quantitative and qualitative changes of the dermal elastic tissue of non-sun-exposed skin induce...

The combination of SEM and autoclave methods gave a clear three-dimensional demonstration of integumental elastic fibres in small densely-haired mammals. The specific organisation of a fine and spongy elastic network was characterised by uniformly thin elastic fibres which were homogeneously distributed between both hair follicle types throughout the whole dermis. All the hair follicles were co...

Elastotic degeneration in cases of pterygium, as in pinguecula, is characterized by the appearance of vermiform, coiled, and knotty fibres which take up elastic stain, but these so-called elastic fibres appear to differ from natural elastic tissue. There are certain skin diseases in which an apparent increase in elastic fibres is seen (Tunbridge, Tattersall, Hall, Astbury, and Reed, I952). Gill...