Morphometric analysis of the isolated calcium-tolerant cardiac myocyte - Organelle volumes, sarcomere length, plasma membrane surface folds, and intramembrane particle density and distribution

TY - JOUR

T1 - Morphometric analysis of the isolated calcium-tolerant cardiac myocyte - Organelle volumes, sarcomere length, plasma membrane surface folds, and intramembrane particle density and distribution

AU - Severs, N. J.

AU - Slade, A. M.

AU - Powell, T.

AU - Twist, V. W.

AU - Jones, G. E.

PY - 1985/4/1

Y1 - 1985/4/1

N2 - Using morphometric analysis of thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas, the ultrastructure of isolated rat myocytes prepared by collagenase digestion (Powell et al. 1980) was compared with that of myocytes fixed by perfusion of intact myocardium. The volumes of myofibrils, mitochondria, nuclei, sarcoplasmic reticulum and lipid droplets in the isolated myocytes did not differ from those of their counterparts in the intact heart, but the volume occupied by transverse tubules was apparently reduced. The isolated cells had significantly shorter sarcomeres than did cells in the intact tissue, and this was associated with an altered topography of plasma membrane surface folds at the level of the Z-lines. Plasma membrane intramembrane particles were randomly distributed and showed the same numerical density on the E-faces of both isolated and intactheart myocytes. However, P-face particle density was slightly reduced in the isolated cells. It is concluded that the few differences detected in the isolated cells do not reflect any fundamental derangement of their properties.

AB - Using morphometric analysis of thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas, the ultrastructure of isolated rat myocytes prepared by collagenase digestion (Powell et al. 1980) was compared with that of myocytes fixed by perfusion of intact myocardium. The volumes of myofibrils, mitochondria, nuclei, sarcoplasmic reticulum and lipid droplets in the isolated myocytes did not differ from those of their counterparts in the intact heart, but the volume occupied by transverse tubules was apparently reduced. The isolated cells had significantly shorter sarcomeres than did cells in the intact tissue, and this was associated with an altered topography of plasma membrane surface folds at the level of the Z-lines. Plasma membrane intramembrane particles were randomly distributed and showed the same numerical density on the E-faces of both isolated and intactheart myocytes. However, P-face particle density was slightly reduced in the isolated cells. It is concluded that the few differences detected in the isolated cells do not reflect any fundamental derangement of their properties.

KW - Freeze-fracture

KW - Intramembrane particle analysis

KW - Isolated myocyte

KW - Morphometry

KW - Myocardium

KW - Plasma membrane

KW - Rat

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0021904977&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/BF00217570

DO - 10.1007/BF00217570

M3 - Article

C2 - 3995538

AN - SCOPUS:0021904977

SN - 0302-766X

VL - 240

SP - 159

EP - 168

JO - Cell and Tissue Research

JF - Cell and Tissue Research

IS - 1

ER -