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The junctional connections between the cells of the urinary bladder in the rat

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Summary

The junctional connections between the cells of the urinary bladder epithelium in rat have been studied by freeze-fracturing. Tight junctions and desmosomes are known as structural features of the epithelium. In addition, gap junctions (nexus) have been found to connect the epithelial cells in an irregular distribution pattern. The junction size ranges from few assembled particles up to plaques with irregular forms. This may indicate that the gap junctions are mobile structures. The functional significance of the junctions in comparison with electrophysiological data is discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anatomisches Institut der Universität Heidelberg, Bundesrepublik Deutschland

    Stephan Peter

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  1. Stephan Peter
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Dedicated to Professor Dr. Helmut Ferner on the occasion of his 65th birthday.

I am indebted to Dr. W. Kriz for reviewing the manuscript. The skillful technical assistance of Mrs. Marlis Kopp is highly appreciated.

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Peter, S. The junctional connections between the cells of the urinary bladder in the rat. Cell Tissue Res. 187, 439–448 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00229608

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00229608

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