scholarly journals Electron Microscopic Observations of the Carotid Body of the Cat

1959 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard L. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Golgi Complex ◽  
Carotid Body ◽  
Nerve Fibers ◽  
Osmic Acid ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Sustentacular Cells ◽  
Carotid Bodies ◽  
Unmyelinated Nerve ◽  
Chemoreceptor Cells

Carotid bodies were removed from cats, fixed in buffered 1 per cent osmic acid, embedded in deaerated, nitrogenated methacrylate, and cut into thin sections for electron microscopic study. The carotid body is seen to be composed of islands of chemoreceptor and sustentacular cells surrounded by wide irregular sinusoids. These cells are separated from the sinusoids by relatively broad interstitial spaces which are filled with collagen, fibroblasts, and many unmyelinated nerve fibers with their Schwann cell sheaths. The chemoreceptor cells are surrounded by the flattened, multiprocessed sustentacular cells which serve to convey the axons from an interstitial to a pericellular location. These sustentacular cells are assumed to be lemmoblastic in origin. Relatively few axons are seen to abut on the chemoreceptor cells. The cytoplasm of the chemoreceptor cell is characterized by numerous small mitochondria, units of granular endoplasmic reticulum, a small Golgi complex, and a variety of vesicles. There are many small vesicles diffusely scattered throughout the cytoplasm. In addition, there is a small number of dark-cored vesicles of the type which has been previously described in the adrenal medulla. These are usually associated with the Golgi complex. These findings are discussed in relation to the concepts of the origin of the chemoreceptor cell and the nature of the synapse.

scholarly journals THE FINE STRUCTURE OF MEISSNER's TOUCH CORPUSCLES OF HUMAN FINGERS

1960 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 467-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolajs Cauna ◽  
Leonard L. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Nerve Fibers ◽  
Nerve Endings ◽  
Osmic Acid ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Material Loss ◽  
Intercellular Substance ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Perinuclear Cytoplasm ◽  
Meissner’S Corpuscle ◽  
Dense Vesicles

Thin slices of the finger pads of six individuals were fixed in buffered 1 per cent osmic acid, embedded in deaerated, nitrogenated methacrylate, and cut into thin sections for electron microscopic study. Before embedding, the slices were trimmed so as to include several digital tactile corpuscles. Some thin sections were stained in 10 per cent aqueous phosphotungstic acid solution. The principal part of Meissner's corpuscle is made up of flattened laminar cells stretching across the corpuscle in irregular layers. The perinuclear cytoplasm of these cells contains numerous small mitochondria, a sparse granular endoplasmic reticulum, and a large number of small vesicles. Nerve fibers enter the side or base of the corpuscle, lose their myelin sheaths, and follow a meandering course between the laminar cell plates. The nerve endings enter into a close appositional relationship with the flattened portions of the laminar cells. In some areas the apposed axolemma and cell membranes are slightly thickened with small vesicles located along the cell membrane or on both surfaces. These regions are interpreted as synapses. The most prominent feature of the nerve endings is an extraordinary accumulation of small mitochondria which vary in size and internal density. The nerve endings also contain vacuoles, groups of dense concentric membranes, and small dense vesicles of irregular distribution. The laminar cells are separated from one another by a dense intercellular substance of uniform thickness which also envelops the entire corpuscle. This material contains randomly oriented collagen fibers and fine fibrils bound together by a dense material at nodal points recurring at regular intervals of approximately 120 mµ. These findings are discussed in relation to the problems of the function of Meissner's corpuscle, neural material loss and replacement, and the presence of synapses.

Fine Structure of Carotid Body: Normal and Anoxic Cats

1967 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
pp. 150-151
Author(s):  
Fadhil Al-Lami ◽  
R.G. Murray
Keyword(s):  
Fine Structure ◽  
Adrenal Medulla ◽  
Carotid Body ◽  
Uranyl Acetate ◽  
Lead Citrate ◽  
Glomus Cells ◽  
Sustentacular Cells ◽  
Carotid Bodies

Although the fine structure of the carotid body has been described in several recent reports, uncertainties remain, and the morphological effects of anoxia on the carotid body cells of the cat have never been reported. We have, therefore, studied the fine structure of the carotid body both in normal and severely anoxic cats, and to test the specificity of the effects, have compared them with the effects on adrenal medulla, kidney, and liver of the same animals. Carotid bodies of 50 normal and 15 severely anoxic cats (9% oxygen in nitrogen) were studied. Glutaraldehyde followed by OsO4 fixations, Epon 812 embedding, and uranyl acetate and lead citrate staining, were the technics employed.We have called the two types of glomus cells enclosed and enclosing cells. They correspond to those previously designated as chemoreceptor and sustentacular cells respectively (1). The enclosed cells forming the vast majority, are irregular in shape with many processes and occasional peripheral densities (Fig. 1).

scholarly journals Immunohistochemical Characteristics of the Human Carotid Body in the Antenatal and Postnatal Periods of Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 8222
Author(s):  
Dmitry Otlyga ◽  
Ekaterina Tsvetkova ◽  
Olga Junemann ◽  
Sergey Saveliev
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Hydroxylase ◽  
Carotid Body ◽  
Nerve Fibers ◽  
Individual Development ◽  
Endocrine Function ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type I Cells ◽  
Carotid Bodies ◽  
I Cells ◽  
Human Carotid

The evolutionary and ontogenetic development of the carotid body is still understudied. Research aimed at studying the comparative morphology of the organ at different periods in the individual development of various animal species should play a crucial role in understanding the physiology of the carotid body. However, despite more than two centuries of study, the human carotid body remains poorly understood. There are many knowledge gaps in particular related to the antenatal development of this structure. The aim of our work is to study the morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the human carotid body in the antenatal and postnatal periods of development. We investigated the human carotid bodies from 1 embryo, 20 fetuses and 13 adults of different ages using samples obtained at autopsy. Immunohistochemistry revealed expression of βIII-tubulin and tyrosine hydroxylase in the type I cells and nerve fibers at all periods of ontogenesis; synaptophysin and PGP9.5 in the type I cells in some of the antenatal cases and all of the postnatal cases; 200 kDa neurofilaments in nerve fibers in some of the antenatal cases and all of the postnatal cases; and GFAP and S100 in the type II cells and Schwann cells in some of the antenatal cases and all of the postnatal cases. A high level of tyrosine hydroxylase in the type I cells was a distinctive feature of the antenatal carotid bodies. On the contrary, in the type I cells of adults, the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase was significantly lower. Our data suggest that the human carotid body may perform an endocrine function in the antenatal period, while in the postnatal period of development, it loses this function and becomes a chemosensory organ.

scholarly journals Hydroxycobalamin Reveals the Involvement of Hydrogen Sulfide in the Hypoxic Responses of Rat Carotid Body Chemoreceptor Cells

Antioxidants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 62
Author(s):  
Teresa Gallego-Martin ◽  
Jesus Prieto-Lloret ◽  
Philip Aaronson ◽  
Asuncion Rocher ◽  
Ana Obeso
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Sulfide ◽  
Carotid Body ◽  
Oxygen Sensor ◽  
Catecholamine Release ◽  
Glomus Cells ◽  
Arterial Blood ◽  
Carotid Bodies ◽  
High K ◽  
Chemoreceptor Cells ◽  
Ca2 Channels

Carotid body (CB) chemoreceptor cells sense arterial blood PO2, generating a neurosecretory response proportional to the intensity of hypoxia. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a physiological gaseous messenger that is proposed to act as an oxygen sensor in CBs, although this concept remains controversial. In the present study we have used the H2S scavenger and vitamin B12 analog hydroxycobalamin (Cbl) as a new tool to investigate the involvement of endogenous H2S in CB oxygen sensing. We observed that the slow-release sulfide donor GYY4137 elicited catecholamine release from isolated whole carotid bodies, and that Cbl prevented this response. Cbl also abolished the rise in [Ca2+]i evoked by 50 µM NaHS in enzymatically dispersed CB glomus cells. Moreover, Cbl markedly inhibited the catecholamine release and [Ca2+]i rise caused by hypoxia in isolated CBs and dispersed glomus cells, respectively, whereas it did not alter these responses when they were evoked by high [K+]e. The L-type Ca2+ channel blocker nifedipine slightly inhibited the rise in CB chemoreceptor cells [Ca2+]i elicited by sulfide, whilst causing a somewhat larger attenuation of the hypoxia-induced Ca2+ signal. We conclude that Cbl is a useful and specific tool for studying the function of H2S in cells. Based on its effects on the CB chemoreceptor cells we propose that endogenous H2S is an amplifier of the hypoxic transduction cascade which acts mainly by stimulating non-L-type Ca2+ channels.

Ultrastructure of Carotid Bodies in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 646-651
Author(s):  
Donald G. Perrin ◽  
Ernest Cutz ◽  
Laurence E. Becker ◽  
A. Charles Bryan
Keyword(s):  
Congenital Heart Disease ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ◽  
Carotid Body ◽  
Congenital Heart ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Neurosecretory Granules ◽  
Carotid Bodies ◽  
Chemoreceptor Cells

Recent studies have implicated an abnormality in carotid body structure and function in the pathogenesis of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). In the present investigation, the light and electron microscopic findings in carotid bodies from ten victims of SIDS were compared with those in six control infants and five infants dying of congenital heart disease. The cross-sectional area of carotid body chemoreceptor cells and the frequency, distribution, and size of neurosecretory granules were assessed morphometrically. The area of carotid body occupied by chemoreceptor cells (the functional area) was comparable in SIDS victims, control infants, and infants with congenital heart disease. By electron microscopy, the carotid body chief cells from all groups contained numerous electron-dense neurosecretory granules. Distribution, frequency, and size of neurosecretory granules in SIDS victims and control infants did not differ significantly. Morphology of carotid bodies from SIDS victims was found to be normal. The presence of neurosecretory granules in chemoreceptor cells of SIDS victims suggests that the cellular mechanism of neurotransmitter synthesis and storage is not altered.

scholarly journals Electron Microscopic Observations on the Taste Buds of the Rabbit

1958 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. de Lorenzo
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Membranes ◽  
Supporting Cell ◽  
Nerve Fibers ◽  
Taste Buds ◽  
Taste Bud ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Gustatory Receptors ◽  
Sustentacular Cells ◽  
Granular Cytoplasm ◽  
Dense Substance

An examination of the fine structure of the taste buds in the rabbit was undertaken. Gustatory epithelium was fixed in OsO4 or 1 per cent KMnO4 solution, containing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Thick sections were examined in the phase microscope and contiguous sections prepared for the electron microscope. The bud contains two types of cells, gustatory receptors and sustentacular cells. The receptors are characterized by a dark nucleus and densely granular cytoplasm. The apical processes bear numerous microvilli which extend into the taste pore. Imbedded between the microvilli there is a dense substance, which is also present in the apical cytoplasm of the receptors. The sustentacular cells contain a large pale nucleus and less dense cytoplasm. Their basal surfaces rest upon a basement membrane. The subepithelial nerve plexuses comprise the fibers which innervate the gustatory receptors. The nerve fibers vary in diameter from 500 A to 0.3 µ, and are ensheathed by Schwann cells. The intragemmal fibers enter the taste bud between adjacent cells, and are ensheathed by the plasma membranes of the supporting cell until they synapse upon the gustatory cell. The synaptic terminals contain synaptic vesicles, which at this junction reside in the postsynaptic element. This observation is discussed with reference to synapses described elsewhere in the nervous system.

scholarly journals Electron immunocytochemical localization of enkephalin-like material in catecholamine-containing cells of the carotid body, the adrenal medulla, and in pheochromocytomas of man and other mammals.

1982 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 682-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
I M Varndell ◽  
F J Tapia ◽  
J De Mey ◽  
R A Rush ◽  
S R Bloom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adrenal Medulla ◽  
Carotid Body ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Microscopic Level ◽  
Electron Microscopic Level ◽  
Immunocytochemical Localization ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Antibody Technique ◽  
Dopamine Beta Hydroxylase ◽  
Carotid Bodies

Enkephalin-like immunoreactivity has been localized to electron-dense secretory granules of cat and piglet carotid bodies and adrenal medullae, horse adrenal medulla, and also to human adrenal medulla and pheochromocytomas using a gold-labeled antibody technique performed at the electron microscopic level. The same granules were also demonstrated to exhibit dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-like immunoreactivity, which suggests a granular colocalization of amines and peptides in catecholamine-storing cells.

Ultrastructural Abnormalities of the Carotid Body in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-17
Author(s):  
Solon Cole ◽  
Leslie B. Lindenberg ◽  
Frank M. Galioto ◽  
Peter E. Howe ◽  
Arthur C. DeGraff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome ◽  
Carotid Body ◽  
Infant Death ◽  
Respiratory Control ◽  
Sudden Infant Death ◽  
Cell Number ◽  
Sudden Infant ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Carotid Bodies ◽  
High Risk Infants

The carotid bodies of four infants who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) were compared, using electron microscopic techniques, with the carotid bodies of various control subjects. In the SIDS patients, there was a marked reduction or absence of the dense cytoplasmic granules of the carotid chemoreceptor cells, as well as a reduction in cell number and size. These ultrastructural abnormalities may be pathophysiologically related to SIDS. A defect in this respiratory control organ could block normal stimulation of respiration during the periods of hypoxia that occur during episodes of sleep apnea in infancy. Further studies by electron microscopy are required to confirm degranulation of the carotid body as a pathognomonic sign of SIDS. Screening of high-risk infants should be directed at studying the carotid body and its mediated responses to hypoxia.

scholarly journals ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC RADIOAUTOGRAPHIC STUDIES OF THE CAROTID BODY FOLLOWING INJECTIONS OF LABELED BIOGENIC AMINE PRECURSORS

1969 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 794-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
I-Li Chen ◽  
Robert D. Yates
Keyword(s):  
Positive Reaction ◽  
Carotid Body ◽  
Subcutaneous Injection ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Cytoplasmic Granules ◽  
Syrian Hamsters ◽  
Dense Cores ◽  
Carotid Bodies ◽  
Reserpine Treatment ◽  
Parenchymal Cells

Adult Syrian hamsters were given a subcutaneous injection of reserpine 3 days before an intraperitoneal injection of 3H-3,4 dihydroxyphenylalanine or 3H-5, hydroxytryptophan and the carotid bodies were subsequently prepared for electron microscopic radioautography. Other Syrian hamsters were given a subcutaneous injection of reserpine and the carotid bodies were subjected to a sensitive cytochemical test for the detection of unsubstituted amines. These studies were made to determine whether the labeled amine precursors were incorporated into the cells and to see whether the parenchymal cells were affected by reserpine treatment. Material from hamsters treated first with reserpine and subsequently injected with 3H-3,4 dihydroxyphenylalanine or 3H-5, hydroxytryptophan exhibited reduced grains of silver over the cells which were associated mainly with the dense cores of the cytoplasmic granules. These studies offer evidence that the granules of the carotid body incorporate catecholamine and indolamine precursors. Material from hamsters incubated for the presence of unsubstituted amines gave a positive reaction (opaque cytoplasmic granules) for catecholamines but not for indolamines. The latter substances may not be present in quantities sufficient to register a positive reaction in the cytochemical test. The opaque granules, indicative of the presence of catecholamines, decreased in density after reserpine treatment. 5 days after one reserpine injection the granules had regained opacity and were comparable to those seen in the control cells.

Ultrastructure of Oviduct Epithelium of the Porcine in Estrus

1971 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 512-513
Author(s):  
R. K. Nayak ◽  
D. R. Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Intercellular Junctions ◽  
Uranyl Acetate ◽  
Secretory Process ◽  
Osmic Acid ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Tissue Sections ◽  
Oviduct Epithelium ◽  
Microscopic Studies ◽  
Cyclic Changes

Cyclic changes of porcine oviduct epithelium studied by light microscopy were first reported by Snyder in 1923. UltrastructuraI features of the porcine oviduct epithelium have not yet been described. Electron microscopic studies of oviduct epithelium have been reported for only a few species. These reports have been recently reviewed by Nilsson and Relnius. This report describes the fine structure of, the oviduct epithelium and attempts to elucidate the mechanism of ciliogenesis and the secretory process in the porcine during estrus.Tissue sections from the fimbria and ampulla were fixed in cold 3% cacodylate buffered glutaraldehyde (pH 7.4), post-fixed in 1% osmic acid and embedded in Epon. Ultra-thin sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate and examined in a RCA 3-G electron microscope operated at 100 kv.The epithelium of the tubal mucosa consists of secretory and ciliated cells. The cells are columnar and rest on a common basement membrane, which is about 50 mμ thick. The distal or free borders of the surface epithelial cells possess few irregular microvilli. The membranes of adjacent cells show tight intercellular junctions and macula adhaerentes (Figs. 1, 2).

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