Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on flexor digitorum tendons collected from normal controls (n=12), trained controls (n = 9), and rats that had performed either the HRHF task for 3 (n = 4), 6 (n=4) or 12 weeks (n=4), or the LRNF task for 3 (n=3), 6 (n=4) or 12 weeks (n = 3). Animals were euthanized, perfused transcardially with 4% paraformaldehyde in PO
4 buffer, and forearm musculotendinous tissues were dissected as a mass off the forearm bones as shown in
Figure 3K,L, and sectioned longitudinally as a soft tissue mass
(en bloc) as described previously (19 (
link), 23 (
link)). Sections, on slides, were incubated in 3% H
2O
2 in methanol (4°C) for 30 min, washed, incubated in 4% dried milk in PBS (Blotto) for 20 min, and then overnight at rm temp with a Substance P antibody (# MAB1566, Chemicon, Temecula, CA; 1:500 dilution with 4% carnation milk in PBS). After washing, sections were incubated for 2 hrs at rm temp with goat anti-mouse peroxidase-conjugated (HRP) secondary antibody (Jackson ImmunoResearch, West Grove, PA) diluted 1:100 with PBS. HRP was visualized as a black immunoreactive stain using diaminobenzidene (DAB) with cobalt (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO). For IL-1β and periostin like factor (PLF; labels activated fibroblasts producing this matricellular protein), sections were immunolabeled and detected with HRP-DAB as previously described (21 (
link),24 (
link)). Eosin and/or nuclear red were used as counterstains. A series of adjacent sections were also stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) only. Sections were dehydrated and coverslipped with DPX mounting medium. For connective tissue growth factor (CTGF; a fibroblast growth factor that induces collagen production and an activated fibroblast marker), sections were immunolabeled and detected with Cy3 (red fluorescence), and coverslipped with 80% glycerol in PBS, as previously described (22 (
link)). Negative control slides included omission of either the primary antibody or the secondary antibody.
Selected sections were double-labeled after Substance P immunolabeling with either anti-ED1 (detects a 90 kDa lysosomal membrane protein in monocytes/macrophages) or anti-PGP9.5 (a pan neuronal marker). After Substance P immunolabeling with secondary antibody conjugated to Cy2 (green tag; Jackson, diluted 1:100 in PBS for 2 hrs), tissue sections were washed, digested with 0.5% pepsin in 0.01 N HCl for 20 min at rm temp, and then incubated with goat serum (4%) in PBS for 30 min at rm temp. Sections were then incubated with either anti-ED1 (MAB1435, Chemicon, Temecula, CA, 1:250 dilution in 4% goat serum in PBS) or anti-PGP9.5 (ab8189, Abcam, Cambridge, MA, 1:50 dilution in 10% goat serum in PBS) overnight at rm temp. Sections were incubated with appropriate secondary antibodies conjugated to Cy3 (red tag; Jackson). Slides were coverslipped with 80% glycerol in PBS. Selected sections were also double-labeled with CTGF and collagen type I antibodies as described previously (22 (
link)).
Fedorczyk J.M., Barr A.E., Rani S., Gao H., Amin M., Amin S., Litvin J, & Barbe M.F. (2010). Exposure dependent increases in IL-1beta, Substance P, CTGF and tendinosis in flexor digitorum tendons with upper extremity repetitive strain injury. Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society, 28(3), 298-307.