Filaments in Fibroblast in Pulmonary Alveolar Wall

Author(s):  
Kuen-Shan Hung ◽  
M. Sue Hertweck ◽  
John D. Hardy ◽  
Clayton G. Loosli

A small number of fibroblasts (alveolar septal cells, pulmonary interstitial cells, mesenchymal cells) are present in the alveolar areas of the adult lungs. These cells, like fibroblasts elsewhere, may be important in production and maintenance of connective tissue fibers found throughout the lung. Very little attention has been given to these cells in studies of the lungs. Therefore their precise structure and function are not clear. This report demonstrates filaments in the fibroblasts in the alveolar ducts and alveolar walls of the mouse lungs.The lungs were inflated with 2% glutaraldehyde, post-fixed with 1% osmium tetroxide and processed for electron microscopy. The cell body and processes of the alveolar fibroblast are located in the interalveolar septum (Fig. I).

Author(s):  
Robert L. Ochs

By conventional electron microscopy, the formed elements of the nuclear interior include the nucleolus, chromatin, interchromatin granules, perichromatin granules, perichromatin fibrils, and various types of nuclear bodies (Figs. 1a-c). Of these structures, all have been reasonably well characterized structurally and functionally except for nuclear bodies. The most common types of nuclear bodies are simple nuclear bodies and coiled bodies (Figs. 1a,c). Since nuclear bodies are small in size (0.2-1.0 μm in diameter) and infrequent in number, they are often overlooked or simply not observed in any random thin section. The rat liver hepatocyte in Fig. 1b is a case in point. Historically, nuclear bodies are more prominent in hyperactive cells, they often occur in proximity to nucleoli (Fig. 1c), and sometimes they are observed to “bud off” from the nucleolar surface.


1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (08) ◽  
pp. 271-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen Spraggon ◽  
Stephen Everse ◽  
Russell Doolittle

IntroductionAfter a long period of anticipation,1 the last two years have witnessed the first high-resolution x-ray structures of fragments from fibrinogen and fibrin.2-7 The results confirmed many aspects of fibrinogen structure and function that had previously been inferred from electron microscopy and biochemistry and revealed some unexpected features. Several matters have remained stubbornly unsettled, however, and much more work remains to be done. Here, we review several of the most significant findings that have accompanied the new x-ray structures and discuss some of the problems of the fibrinogen-fibrin conversion that remain unresolved. * Abbreviations: GPR—Gly-Pro-Arg-derivatives; GPRPam—Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro-amide; GHRPam—Gly-His-Arg-Pro-amide


1998 ◽  
Vol 79 (05) ◽  
pp. 1034-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Nitschmann ◽  
L. Berry ◽  
S. Bridge ◽  
M. W. C. Hatton ◽  
M. Richardson ◽  
...  

SummaryWe hypothesised that there are important physiologic differences in arterial wall structure and function with respect to antithrombotic activity in the very young (pre-puberty) compared to adults. Electron microscopy, gel electrophoresis, and activity assays were used to examine differences in aorta structure and function comparing prepubertal rabbits (pups) to adult rabbits. Differences in endothelial function, extracellular matrix structure, proteoglycan (PG) distribution and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content and function were shown. In both intima and media, total PG, chondroitin sulfate (CS) PG and heparan sulfate (HS) PG content were significantly increased in pups compared to adult rabbits. These findings corresponded to increased concentrations by mass analyses of CS GAG and DS GAG in aortas from pups. There was also a significant increase in antithrombin activity in pups due to HS GAG. In conclusion, differences in both structure and antithrombin activity of aortas from pups compared to adult rabbits suggest that young arteries may have greater antithrombotic potential that is, at least in part, related to increased HS GAG.


1999 ◽  
Vol 232 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 169-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M Robinson ◽  
Toshihiro Kobayashi ◽  
Harumichi Seguchi ◽  
Toshihiro Takizawa

Author(s):  
Andrew Filer ◽  
Maria Juarez ◽  
Christopher Buckley

In order to understand and explore the function and roles of fibroblasts, it is necessary to understand their lineage relationships to other mesenchymal cells. Fibroblasts are ubiquitous non-epithelial, non-endothelial, and non-haematopoietic adherent cells that have the capacity to produce and remodel extracellular matrix. In addition to their well-known ’landscaping’ function which determines the unique structure and function of different organs, they play an important role in wound healing, immune tolerance, and disease. In cancer, epithelial-stromal interactions have been implicated in disease initiation and progression. In rheumatoid arthritis, synovial fibroblasts at diseased sites become persistently activated and behave abnormally, orchestrating joint inflammation and contributing to joint destruction. Recent evidence suggests that the activated phenotype of fibroblasts in pathology may result from epigenetic programming, which is becoming a major focus for development of new therapeutics.


2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Consolino ◽  
Franck Duclos ◽  
Jane Lee ◽  
Roger A. Williamson ◽  
Kevin P. Campbell ◽  
...  

α-Sarcoglycan-deficient ( Sgca-null) mice provide potential for elucidating the pathogenesis of limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2D (LGMD 2D) as well as for studying the effectiveness of therapeutic strategies. Skeletal muscles of Sgca-null mice demonstrate an early onset of extensive fiber necrosis, degeneration, and regeneration, but the progression of the pathology and the effects on muscle structure and function throughout the life span are not known. Thus the phenotypic accuracy of the Sgca-null mouse as a model of LGMD 2D has not been fully established. To investigate skeletal muscle structure and function in the absence of α-sarcoglycan throughout the life span, we analyzed extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles of male and female Sgca-null and wild-type mice at 3, 6, 12, and 18 mo of age. Maximum isometric forces and powers were measured in vitro at 25°C. Also determined were individual myofiber cross-sectional areas and numbers, water content, and the proportion of the cross section occupied by connective tissue. Muscle masses were 40–100% larger for Sgca-null compared with age- and gender-matched wild-type mice, with the majority of the increased muscle mass for Sgca-null mice attributable to greater connective tissue and water contents. Although the greater mass of muscles in Sgca-null mice was primarily noncontractile material, absolute forces and powers were maintained near control levels at all ages, indicating a successful adaptation to the deficiency in α-sarcoglycan not observed at any age in LGMD 2D patients.


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