Characterization of mammary cells from the lactating rat by electron microscopy
The means to identify cells isolated from the mammary gland of the lactating rat as a prerequisite for cell purification have been developed.The cells were isolated from mammary tissue with 0. 1% collagenase, and they were visualized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy and by alkaline phosphatase cytochemistry.The milk-secreting cells have surface microvilli, whereas the surface of the myoepithelial cells is smooth (Fig. 1). The two isolated epithelial cell types are readily distinguishable by transmission electron microscopy (Fig. 2). The secretory cells contain vacuoles and a relatively extensive rough endoplasmic reticulum, whereas the myoepithelial cells contain a more osmiophilic cytoplasm, contractile filaments (Fig. 3) and elongate processes. These features are consistent with the appearance of the two cell types in situ.Incubation of isolated cells with oxytocin prior to glutaraldehyde fixation resulted in the contraction of the myoepithelial cell processes (Figs. 4 & 5). This physiological response to oxytocin shows that the isolated myoepithelial cells were intact. The appearance of isolated secretory cells was unchanged by the presence of oxytocin.