ISSN:
1432-0878
Keywords:
Macrophage
;
Freund's adjuvants
;
Stimulation
;
Stereology
;
Electron microscopy
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Summary The principles of stereology have been applied to a stereometric analysis of the ultrastructural composition of normal rat peritoneal macrophages and of cells stimulated five days previously by a single intraperitoneal dose of Freund's adjuvants. Material obtained by a systematic random sampling regime was analysed and the data groups for various morphological parameters were compared. Estimates were made of cell numbers. From electron micrographs the volume proportions of nuclei, mitochondria, heterogeneous granules and rough endoplasmic reticulum were determined. The average numbers and dimensions of mitochondria, granules and free ribosomes were also evaluated. The volume-to-surface ratios of cells and their nuclei were computed. By the independent measurement of cellular volumes it was possible to obtain estimates of nuclear and cytoplasmic volumes, to evaluate the membrane surface areas of the average cells and their nuclei, and to calculate numbers of organelles per average cell. The structural alterations induced by the complete adjuvant were similar to those evoked by the incomplete adjuvant. Stimulation was characterized by a cellular hypertrophy accompanied by an increase in mean granule size and in the number of mitochondria per average cell. At the same time, there was a substantial decrease in the number of granules and a considerable depletion of both nuclear and plasma membrane surface areas.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00307256
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