Pharmacology and Therapeutics - Research Publications
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ItemFine structure of smooth muscle cells grown in tissue culture.(Rockefeller University Press, 1971-04)The fine structure of smooth muscle cells of the embryo chicken gizzard cultured in monolayer was studied by phase-contrast optics and electron microscopy. The smooth muscle cells were irregular in shape, but tended to be elongate. The nucleus usually contained prominent nucleoli and was large in relation to the cell body. When fixed with glutaraldehyde, three different types of filaments were noted in the cytoplasm: thick (150-250 A in diameter) and thin (30-80 A in diameter) myofilaments, many of which were arranged in small bundles throughout the cytoplasm and which were usually associated with dark bodies; and filaments with a diameter of 80-110 A which were randomly orientated and are not regarded as myofilaments. Some of the aggregated ribosomes were helically arranged. Mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, and dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum were prominent. In contrast to in vivo muscle cells, micropinocytotic vesicles along the cell membrane were rare and dense areas were usually confined to cell membrane infoldings. These cells are compared to in vivo embryonic smooth muscle and adult muscle after treatment with estrogen. Monolayers of cultured smooth muscle will be of particular value in relating ultrastructural features to functional observations on the same cells.
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ItemPostsynaptic specialization of smooth muscle at close neuromuscular junctions in the guinea pig sphincter pupillae.(Rockefeller University Press, 1972-06)
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ItemDemonstration of "gap junctions" between smooth muscle cells.(Rockefeller University Press, 1970-01)
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ItemFREEZE-FRACTURE STUDIES OF NEXUSES BETWEEN SMOOTH-MUSCLE CELLS - CLOSE RELATIONSHIP TO SARCOPLASMIC-RETICULUM(ROCKEFELLER UNIV PRESS, 1977-01-01)The freeze-fracture appearance of the nexus was compared in the smooth muscle of guinea pig sphincter pupillac, portal vein, pulmonary artery, taenia coli, uretzr, and vas diferens, mouse vas deferens, chicken gizzard and anterior mesenteric artery, and toad stomach. Nexuses are particularly numerous in the guinea pig sphincter pupillae; they are usually oval and their average area is 0.15 mum2, although some as large as 0.6 mum2 were seen. Small aggregations of particles were observed which would not be recognizable as nexuses in thin section. What constitutes the minimum size of a nexus is discussed. It is estimated that the number of nexuses per cell in this preparation is of the order of tens rather than hundreds. All nexuses examined had 6-9-nm particles in the PF face, with corresponding 3-4-nm pits on the EF face forming a polygonal tending towards a hexagonal lattice. The nexuses are arranged in rows parallel to the main axis of the cell, usually alternating with longitudinal rows of plasmalemmal vesicles. Many nexuses in the guinea pig sphincter pupillae, chicken gizzard, and toad stomach show a close relationship with sarcoplasmic reticulum. The possibility that this may have some role in current flow across this specialized junction is discussed.
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ItemCytoplasmic filaments in developing and adult vertebrate smooth muscle.(Rockefeller University Press, 1971-08)An extensive study of adult and developing smooth muscle has revealed the widespread occurrence of a distinct filament with an average diameter of about 100 A (termed the 100 A filament). Unlike that of myofilaments, their appearance in longitudinal section is uniform, but in transverse section they have a round profile, occasionally exhibiting a less electron-opaque core. The 100 A filaments are almost invariably preserved under a variety of fixation procedures, whereas myofilaments, particularly the thicker filaments, are preserved inconsistently. The 100 A filaments appear to be randomly oriented throughout the cytoplasm, either singly or in small groups, although they are sometimes concentrated in the juxtanuclear region of the smooth muscle cells. The intimate association of 100 A filaments with dark bodies, in both developing and adult smooth muscle cells, may indicate that these filaments either play a role in dark body formation or, at least, constitute a part of the dark body. The 100 A filaments are conspicuous in developing smooth muscle cells and occasionally form networks or clusters; they appear to decrease in relative number as maturation proceeds, but considerable numbers are still present in adult tissue.