Summary
A quantitative study of muscle cells of the guinea-pig taenia coli is reported. Stereological methods were used on electron micrographs and phase contrast micrographs. Smooth muscle cells of taeniae fixed under 1 gram load were about 515 μm long. Muscle cell volume was about 3,500 μm3 and cell surface 5,300 μm2. About 168,000 caveolae were found at the surface of each muscle cell, covering about 29 percent of its surface. They produced a 73 percent increase of the cell membrane compared to a smooth-surfaced cell. The ratio surface-to-volume is about 1∶0.67 if the geometrical surface is considered, or 1∶0.39 if the total surface of the cell membrane (including the caveolae) is considered. Mitochondria constituted 3.5–4 percent of the cell volume. A few nexuses were observed, both between two muscle cells and between a muscle cell and an interstitial cell. In serial sections septa of connective tissue and groups of muscle cells were found to disappear within few tens of microns or to merge with other septa, and the taenia did not appear to be divided into clear-cut muscle cell bundles. Bundles of smooth muscle cells were seen passing from the taenia to the underlying circular muscle. The transverse sectional area of the taenia ranged between 0.14 and 0.39 mm2; it showed about 526 blood vessels · mm-2.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barr, L., Berger, W., Dewey, M.M.: Electrical transmission at the nexus between smooth muscle cells. J. gen. Physiol. 51, 347–369 (1968)
Bennett, H.S.: The structure of striated muscle as seen by the electron microscope. In: Structure and function of muscle, Vol. 1 (G.H. Bourne, ed.), pp. 137–150. New York: Academic Press 1960
Bennett, M.R., Burnstock, G.: Electrophysiology of the innervation of intestinal smooth muscle. In: Handbbok of Physiology, Sec. 6, Vol. 4 (C.F. Code, ed.), pp. 1709–1732. Washington: American Physiological Society 1968
Bennett, M.R., Rogers, D.C.: A study of the innervation of the taenia coli. J. Cell Biol. 33, 573–596 (1967)
Brading, A.F., Widdicombe, J.H.: An estimate of sodium/potassium pump activity and the number of pump sites in the smooth muscle of the guinea-pig taenia coli, using [3H] ouabain. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 238, 235–249 (1974)
Bülbring, E.: Membrane potentials of smooth muscle fibres of the taenia coli of the guinea-pig. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 125, 302–315 (1954)
Bülbring, E.: Physiology and pharmacology of intestinal smooth muscle. Lectures on Scientific Basis of Medicine 7, 374–397 (1957)
Bülbring, E., Hooton, I.N.: Smooth muscle potentials recorded with intracellular electrodes. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 120, 8–9 (1953)
Burnstock, G., Prosser, C.L.: Conduction in smooth muscles: comparative electrical properties. Amer. J. Physiol. 199, 553–559 (1960)
Casteels, R.: The relation between the membrane potential and the ionic distribution in smooth muscle cells. In: Smooth muscle (E. Bülbring, A.F. Brading, A.W. Jones and T. Tomita, eds.), pp. 70–99. London: Arnold 1970
Cobb, J.L.S., Bennett, T.: A study of nexuses in visceral smooth muscle. J. Cell Biol. 41, 287–297 (1969)
Cooke, P.H., Fay, F.S.: Correlation between fiber length, ultrastructure, and the length-tension relationship in mammalian smooth muscle. J. Cell Biol. 52, 105–116 (1972)
Devine, C.E., Rayns, D.G.: Freeze-fracture studies of membrane systems in vertebrate muscle. II. Smooth muscle. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 51, 293–306 (1975)
Devine, C.E., Simpson, F.O., Bertaud, W.S.: Surface features of smooth muscle cells from the mesenteric artery and vas deferens. J. Cell Sci. 8, 427–443 (1971)
Devine, C.E., Somlyo, A.V., Somlyo, A.P.: Sarcoplasmic reticulum and excitation-contraction coupling in mammalian smooth muscles. J. Cell Biol. 52, 690–718 (1972)
Dewey, M.M., Barr, L.: A study of the structure and distribution of the nexus. J. Cell Biol. 23, 553–585 (1964)
Dulhunty, A.F., Franzini-Armstrong, C.: The relative contribution of the folds and caveolae to the surface membrane of frog skeletal muscle fibres at different sarcomere lengths. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 250, 513–539 (1975)
Franzini-Armstrong, C.: Membrane systems in muscle fibres. In: The structure and function of muscle, 2nd ed., Vol. 1 (G.H. Bourne, ed.), pp. 532–617. New York: Academic Press 1973
Freeman-Narrod, M., Goodford, P.J.: Sodium and potassium content of the smooth muscle of the guinea-pig taenia coli at different temperatures and tensions. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 163, 399–410 (1962)
Gabella, G.: Fine structure of smooth muscle. Phil. Trans. roy. Soc. B 265, 7–16 (1973)
Gabella, G.: Special muscle cells and their innervation in the mammalian small intestine. Cell Tiss. Res. 153, 63–77 (1974a)
Gabella, G.: The sphincter pupillae of the guinea-pig: structure of muscle cells, intercellular relations and density of innervation. Proc. roy. Soc. B 186, 369–386 (1974b)
Geisweid, G., Wermbter, G.: Die Feinstruktur des Nexus zwischen glatten Muskelzellen der Taenia coli im Gefrierätzbild. Cytobiol. 9, 121–130 (1974)
Goodford, P.J.: Ion movements in smooth muscle. In: Membranes and ion transport (E. Bittar, ed.), pp. 33–74. New York: Wiley 1970
Goodford, P.J., Hermansen, K.: Sodium and potassium movements in the unstriated muscle of the guinea-pig taenia coli. J. Physiol. (Lond.) 158, 426–448 (1961)
Henderson, R.M.: Cell-to-cell contacts. In: Methods in pharmacology (E.E. Daniel and D.M. Paton, ed.), pp. 47–77. New York: Plenum Press 1975
Henderson, R.M., Duchon, G., Daniel, E.E.: Cell contacts in duodenal smooth muscle layers. Amer. J. Physiol. 221, 564–574 (1971)
Imaizumi, M., Hama, K.: An electron microscopic study on the interstitial cells of the gizzard in love-bird (Uroloncha domestica). Z. Zellforsch. 97, 351–357 (1969)
Irwin, D.A.: The anatomy of the Auerbach's plexus. Amer. J. Anat. 49, 141–166 (1931)
Ishikawa, H., Fukuda, Y., Yamada, E.: Freeze-replica observations on frog sartorius muscle. I. Sarcolemmal specialization J. Electr. Micr. 24, 97–107 (1975)
McGeachie, J.K.: Smooth muscle regeneration. Monographs Develop. Biol. 9, 1–90 (1975)
Merrillees, N.C.R.: The nervous environment of individual smooth muscle cells of the guinea-pig vas deferens. J. Cell Biol. 37, 794–817 (1968)
Mobley, B.A., Eisenberg, B.R.: Sizes of components in frog skeletal muscle measured by methods of stereology. J. gen. Physiol. 66, 31–45 (1975)
Nagasawa, J., Suzuki, T.: Electron microscopic study on the cellular interrelationships in the smooth muscle. Tohoku J. exp. Med. 91, 299–313 (1967)
Nishihara, H.: Some observations on the fine structure of the guinea-pig taenia coli in hypertonic solution, with special reference to the nexus. J. Anat. (Lond.) 107, 101–114 (1970)
Prosser, C.L., Burnstock, G., Kahn, J.: Conduction in smooth muscle: comparative structural properties. Amer. J. Physiol. 199, 545–552 (1960)
Rayns, D.G., Simpson, F.O., Bertaud, W.S.: Surface features of striated muscle. I. Guinea-pig cardiac muscle. J. Cell Sci. 3, 467–474 (1968)
Schofield, G.C.: Anatomy of muscular and neural tissues in the the alimentary canal. In: Handbook of physiology, Sect. 6, Vol. 4 (C.F. Code, ed.), pp. 1579–1627. Washington: American Physiological Society
Taxi, J.: Contribution a l'étude des connexions des neurones moteurs du système nerveux autonome. Ann. Sci. Nat. Zool. 7, 413–674 (1965)
Verity, M.A., Bevan, J.A.: Fine structural study of the terminal effector plexus, neuromuscular and intermuscular relationships in the pulmonary artery. J. Anat. (Lond.) 103, 49–63 (1968)
Watanabe, H., Yamamoto, T.Y.: Freeze-etch of smooth muscle cells from vas deferens and taenia coli. J. Anat. (Lond.) 117, 553–564 (1974)
Wootton, G.S., Goodford, P.J.: The ratio of smooth muscle cell volume to cell surface area measured by electron microscopy with corrections for shrinkage. Cell Tiss. Res. 162, 75–82 (1975)
Yamauchi, A.: Electron microscopic studies on the autonomic neuromuscular junction in the taenia coli of the guinea-pig. Acta anat. nipp. 39, 22–38 (1964)
Yamauchi, A., Burnstock, G.: Post-natal development of smooth muscle cells in the mouse vas deferens. A fine structural study. J. Anat. (Lond.) 104, 1–15 (1969)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
I thank Professors G. Burnstock and E.G. Gray, F.R.S., for critical comments on the manuscript, and Miss E.M. Franke and Mr. S.J. Sarsfield for excellent technical assistance. This work is supported by grants from the Medical Research Council and the Central Research Funds of the University of London
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gabella, G. Quantitative morphological study of smooth muscle cells of the guinea-pig taenia coli. Cell Tissue Res. 170, 161–186 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00224297
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00224297