The morphological evidence indicated that the application of heavy pressure promoted the healing process to a greater degree than light or moderate pressure.

Augmented Soft Tissue Mobilization (ASTM) is a new non-invasive soft tissue mobilization technique which has been used successfully to treat a variety of musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ASTM therapy on the morphological and functional characteristics of enzyme induced injured rat Achilles tendons. Four groups of five rats were allocated as follows: (A) control, (B) tendinitis, (C) tendinitis plus ASTM, and (D) ASTM alone. Collagenase injury was induced, and the surgical site was allowed to heal for 3 wk. ASTM was performed on the Achilles tendon of groups C and D for 3 min on postoperative days 21, 25, 29, and 33 for a total of four treatments. Gait data were gathered prior to each treatment. The Achilles tendons of each group were harvested 1 wk after the last treatment. Specimens were prepared for light and electron microscopy, and immunostaining for type I and type III collagen and fibronectin was performed. Light microscopy showed increased fibroblast proliferation in the tendinitis plus ASTM treatment group. Although healing in rats may not translate directly to healing in humans, the findings of this study suggest that ASTM may promote healing via increased fibroblast recruitment.

The incorporation of leucine-3 H into either ovarian or oocyte proteins occurs throughout vitellogenesis, but is at a maximum during early phases of this process . The labeling of ovarian and oocyte proteins is inhibited with cycloheximide . Oocytes are permeable to actinomycin D, and this drug does not affect the incorporation of amino acids into oocyte proteins but does block oocyte RNA synthesis . By means of both light microscope and high resolution radioautography, it has been demonstrated that the initial incorporation of leucine-3 H under both in vitro and in vivo conditions occurs in elements of the roughsurfaced endoplasmic reticulum in the oocyte . Under pulse-chase conditions, the label subsequently becomes associated with intracisternal (precursor yolk) granules now aggregated within the cisternae of the connected smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum . By 7 days, mature yolk globules are extensively labeled . The results of experiments designed to assess the possible contribution of maternal blood proteins to yolk deposition indicate that such a contribution is minimal . It is concluded that the crayfish oocyte is programmed for and capable of synthesizing the massive store of proteinaceous yolk present in the egg at the end of oogenesis . 420

Electron microscope studies on Necturus maculosus oocytes ranging in size from 1.1-1.5 mm in diameter indicate the primary proteinaceous yolk to arise within structures referred to in other amphibian oocytes as yolk precursor sacs or bodies. The origin of these yolk precursor sacs appears to result from the activity of the Golgi complexes which form multivesicular and granular-vesicular bodies, the limiting membrane of which is at times incomplete. During differentiation, the yolk precursor sacs contain small vesicles similar in size to Golgi vesicles, larger vesicles similar to vesicular elements of the agranular endoplasmic reticulum and, on occasion, a portion of a mitochondrion. The interior of these sacs becomes granular, perhaps by a dissolution of the components just described, and soon becomes organized into a crystalline configuration. In oocytes 2.0-2.5 mm in diameter, an extensive micropinocytotic activity begins, continues throughout vitellogenesis, and constitutes the primary mechanism for the formation of secondary yolk protein. Numerous coated and smooth-surfaced vesicles, as well as electron-dense and electronlucent ones, fuse in the cortical ooplasm to form progressively larger yolk platelets.