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Fine structure of the apex of absorptive cells from rat small intestine

1970; Academic Press; Volume: 31; Issue: 3-4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0022-5320(70)90133-4

1878-2345

Oscar Brunser, John H. Luft,

Hydrogen's biological and therapeutic effects

These cells were studied in rats, using buffered osmium or aldehyde fixatives followed by osmium. Three groups of filaments and the terminal web were visualized in the apex. One group, seen in aldehyde-fixed tissue formed the cores and rootlets of the microvilli; they showed no continuity with other filaments. Another group formed the desmosomal web, best seen in tissue stained en bloc with uranyl acetate of phosphotungstic acid (PTA). The third group appeared as short, branched profiles between the rootlets after staining with PTA. The terminal web appeared as a dense layer with gaps, extending out to the zonula adhaerens. It seemed to embed the rootlets penetrating between their filaments. Although it appeared granular with the techniques used here, it is probable that at the molecular level the terminal web is formed by elongated branching elements. By supporting the rootlets and microvilli, the terminal web endows the apex with mechanical stability and anchors it to the body of the cell.