Summary
Cell contacts between elements of the tunica media and the intima in the afferent and efferent glomerular arteriole and in the interlobular artery were studied and evaluated semiquantitatively in thin sections of rat and mouse kidney.
In the afferent arterioles, including their juxtaglomerular portion, contacts were seen between endothelial and smooth muscle cells, and between endothelial and granulated (renin producing) cells. The form of these musculoendothelial contacts varied from simple appositions of perikarya and cell processes to extensive club-shaped indentations of endothelial cells into media cells (common) or media cells into endothelial cells (rare). Most of these cell contacts seem to contain myoendothelial gap junctions. Fewer, mostly club-shaped myoendothelial contacts were found in the interlobular arteries of rats and mice than in their afferent arterioles. Simple membrane appositions predominated among the numerous myoendothelial contacts of efferent arterioles. Similar results (without quantitative analysis) were obtained in the kidney of Tupaia belangeri.
The myoendothelial contacts may allow the detection and propagation of mechanical (autoregulatory) and humoral stimuli.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bayliss WM (1902) On the local reactions of the arterial wall to changes of internal pressure. J Physiol (Lond) 28:220–231
Bevan JA, Duckies SP (1975) Brief communication: Evidence for alpha-adrenergic receptors on intimal endothelium. Blood Vessels 12:307–310
Biava CG, West M (1966) Fine structure of normal human juxtaglomerular cells. I. General structure and intercellular relationships. Am J Pathol 49:679–721
Boll H-U, Forssmann WG, Taugner R (1975) Studies on the juxtaglomerular apparatus. IV. Freezefracturing of membrane surfaces. Cell Tissue Res 161:459–469
Bouskela E, Wiederhielm CA (1979) Microvascular myogenic reaction in the wing of the intact unanesthetized bat. Am J Physiol 237:H59-H65
Dahl E (1973a) The innervation of the cerebral arteries. J Anat 115:53–63
Dahl E (1973b) The fine structure of intracerebral vessels. Z Zellforsch 145:577–586
De Mey JG, Vanhoutte PM (1982) Heterogeneous behavior of the canine arterial and venous wall. Importance of the endothelium. Circ Res 51:439–447
Fishman MC (1976) Membrane potential of juxtaglomerular cells. Nature 260:542–544
Forssmann WG, Taugner R (1977) Studies on the juxtaglomerular apparatus. V. The juxtaglomerular apparatus in Tupaia with special reference to intercellular contacts. Cell Tissue Res 177:291–705
Forssmann WG, Ito S, Weihe E, Aoki A, Dym M, Fawcett DW (1977) An improved perfusion method for the testis. Anat Rec 188:307–314
Furchgott RF, Zawadzki JV, Cherry PD (1981) Role of the endothelium in the vasodilator response to acetylcholine. In: Vanhoutte PM, Eeusen I (eds) Vasodilatation. Raven Press, New York, pp 49–66
Gilmore JP, Cornish KG, Rogers SD, Joyner WL (1980) Direct evidence for myogenic autoregulation of the renal microcirculation in the hamster. Circ Res 47:226–230
Hall JE, Guyton AC, Jackson ThE, Granger JP, Kastner PhR (1981) Autoregulation of glomerular filtration: Role of reninangiotensin-system. Proc 8th Congr Nephrol, Athens, pp 162–169
Hartmann H, Ørskov SL, Rein H (1937) Die Gefäßreaktionen der Niere im Verlaufe allgemeiner KreislaufRegulationsvorgänge. Pflügers Arch 238:239–250
Heyeraas-Tønder K, Aukland K (1979) Interlobular arterial pressure in the rat kidney. Renal Physiol 2:214–221
Jacobsen NO, Jørgensen F, Thomsen ÅC (1966) An electron microscopic study of small arteries and arterioles in the normal human kidney. Nephron 3:17–39
Johnson PC (1968) Autoregulatory responses of cat mesenteric arterioles measured in vivo. Circ Res 22:199–212
Johnson PC (1980) The myogenic response. In: Handbook of physiology; section II. The cardiovascular system; vol 2: Vascular smooth muscle. Bethesda, Maryland, Am Physiol Soc, pp 409–442
Johnson PC, Intaglietta M (1976) Contributions of pressure and flow sensitivity to autoregulation in mesenteric arterioles. Am J Physiol 231:1686–1698
Källskog Ö, Lindbom L, Ulfendahl HR, Wolgast M (1976) Hydrostatic pressures within the vascular structures of the rat kidney. Pflügers Arch 363:205–210
Metz J, Weihe E (1980) Intercellular junctions in the full term human placenta. II. Cytotrophoblast cells, intravillous stroma cells and blood vessels. Anat Embryol 158:167–178
Newstead J, Munkacsi I (1969) Electron microscopic observations on the juxtamedullary efferent arterioles and arteriolae rectae in kidneys of rats. Z Zellforsch 97:465–490
Pascual R, Bevan JA (1980) Evidence that changes in vascular tone may be initiated from the intima of the rabbit aorta. In: Bevan JA, Godfraind T, Maxwell RA, Vanhoutte PM (eds) Vascular neuroeffector mechanisms. Raven Press, New York, pp 300–304
Rhodin JAG (1967) The ultrastructure of mammalian arterioles and precapillary sphincters. J Ultrastruct Res 18:181–223
Schiller A, Taugner R (1979) Are there specialized junctions in the pars maculata of the distal tubule? Cell Tissue Res 200:337–344
Sheridan JD, Larson DM (1982) Junctional communication in the peripheral vasculature. In: Pitts JD, Finbow ME (eds) The functional integration of cells in animal tissues. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 263–283
Spagnoli LG, Villaschi S, Neri L, Palmieri G (1982) Gap junctions in myoendothelial bridges of rabbit carotid arteries. Experientia 38:124–125
Taugner R, Schiller A, Kaissling B, Kriz W (1978a) Gap Junctional coupling between the JGA and the glomerular tuft. Cell Tissue Res 186:279–285
Taugner R, Sonnhof U, Richter DW, Schiller A (1978b) Mixed (chemical and electrical) synapses on frog spinal motoneurons. Cell Tissue Res 193:41–59
Taugner R, Hackenthal E, Nobiling R, Harlacher M, Reb G (1981) The distribution of renin in the different segments of the renal arterial tree. Immunocytochemical investigation in the mouse kidney. Histochemistry 73:75–88
Taugner R, Hackenthal E, Rix E, Nobiling R, Poulsen K (1982) Immunocytochemistry of the reninangiotensin system: Renin, angiotensinogen, angiotensin I, angiotensin II, and converting enzyme in the kidneys of mice, rats, and tree shrews. Kidney Int 22, Suppl 12:S-33-S-43
Wetterer E, Kenner Th (1968) Grundlagen der Dynamik des Arterienpulses. Springer, Heidelberg New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
These studies were supported by the German Research Foundation within the SFB 90 “Cardiovasculäres System”
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Taugner, R., Kirchheim, H. & Forssmann, W.G. Myoendothelial contacts in glomerular arterioles and in renal interlobular arteries of rat, mouse and Tupaia belangeri . Cell Tissue Res. 235, 319–325 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217856
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217856