Summary
The Juxtaglomerular apparatus of the rat was studied after freeze-fracturing with special respect to intercellular junctions. It was found that Juxtaglomerular granulated cells of the vas afferens are interconnected by gap junctions to adjacent cells (granulated cells, possibly also smooth muscle cells). Gap junctions have also been found on the surface of lacis cells and mesangial cells. It is therefore concluded that these cells of the Juxtaglomerular apparatus and the glomerulus—granulated cells (possibly also smooth muscle cells) of the vas afferens, lacis cells and mesangium cells—form a functional system reacting in a coordinated manner to physiological stimuli.
Zusammenfassung
Mit Hilfe der Gefrierbrachtechnik wurde der juxtaglomeruläre Apparat von Rattennieren untersucht. Dabei zeigte sich, daß die granulierten Zellen des juxtaglomerulären Apparates im Bereich des Vas afferens über gap junctions mit benachbarten Zellen (granulierte Zellen, vielleicht auch glatte Muskelzellen) verbunden sind. Gap junctions fanden sich auch auf Lacis- und Mesangiumzellen. Daher wird angenommen, daß diese Zellen des juxtaglomerulären Apparates und des Glomerulums — granulierte Zellen (vielleicht auch glatte Muskelzellen) der Arteriola afferens, Laciszellen und Mesangiumzellen — ein funktionelles System bilden, das auch auf nur lokal wirksame physiologische Reize einheitlich reagieren kann.
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This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 90 Carvas Heidelberg, Grant B 3.
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Boll, H.U., Forssmann, W.G. & Taugner, R. Studies on the juxtaglomerular apparatus. Cell Tissue Res. 161, 459–469 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00224136
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00224136