Effects of Exercise on the Histochemical Changes of Articular Chondrocytes in Adult Dogs

Effects of exercise regimens on the enzyme histochemical changes of articular chondrocytes of the humeral heads in adult shepherd-type dogs were studied. One group of 4 dogs was exercised by walking on a flat surface 5 days a week for 6 months. A 2nd group of 4 dogs was exercised under the same conditions, except that the dogs were forced to walk over platforms placed in their path. Three control dogs were exercised ad libitum in their housing area. In all dogs, the reactivity of lactic acid dehydrogenase was quite strong nicotinamide dinucleotide dehydrogenase was moderate, and glucose-6-phosphatase was week. Succinic acid dehydrogenase uridine diphosphate (UDP)-galactose-4-epimerase, and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-4-epimerase were of weakly moderate staining reactivity. Consistent regional or laminar variability was not found among the chondrocytic populations of the exercised and control groups for the reactivity of the enzymes studied. However, regional and/or laminar variabilities in individuals of the experimental groups were identified. The weak reactivity of glucose-6-phosphatase as seemingly contradictory to the presence of intracellular lipids of adult articular chondrocytes. Lipid synthesis was suggested as a mechanism to store excessive quantities of hydrogen ions in an innocuous form, rather than in the potentially deleterious by-product of anaerobic glycolysis, lactic acid.