Summary
The role of the tight junction in the hydrosmotic response of the frog urinary bladder has been analysed by comparative kinetic studies and freeze etching examination. The comparison of the time course of the variations in transepithelial water net flux and of the alterations of tight junction ultrastructure in bladders exposed to mucosal hyperosmolar solutions shows that blisters are present in the tight junction before any increase in transepithelial water net flux. This indicates that the two phenomena are dissociated.
In the same experimental conditions, freeze etching examination shows the presence in the tight junction of large areas of smooth and apparently stretched membrane where the typical network structure has disappeared. These alterations are reduced by further treatment with oxytocin and are probably not involved in the physiological hydrosomotic response.
Resumé
Certaines informations récentes (voir introduction) nous ont conduits à reconsidérer la possibilité que l'action de l'hormone antidiurétique sur les tissus épithéliaux puisse s'exercer au niveau des jonctions intercellulaires. Une étude comparative des cinétiques d'apparition des altérations ultrastructurales et des variations de perméabilité à l'eau a permis d'établir que les décollements de la “tight junction” provoqués par l'hyperosmolarité muqueuse apparaissent avant tout accroissement significatif du flux net d'eau et ne peuvent donc pas en être la conséquence.
L'examen à haute résolution, par cryodécapage, de la structure de la “tight junction” montre l'apparition dans ces conditions de plages plus ou moins circulaires où la membrane présente un aspect lisse et apparemment distendu et où la structure typique de la “tight junction” a disparu. Ces modifications rétrocèdent après stimulation hormonale et ceci conduit à penser qu'elles ne sont pas impliquées dans la réspone hydrosomotique physiologique.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bentley, P. J.: Rectification of water low across the bladder of the toad. Effect of vasopressin. Life Sci. 4, 133–139 (1965)
Bindslev, N., Tormey, J. McD., Pietras, R. J., Wright, E. M.: Electrically and osmotically induced changes in permeability and structure of toad urinary bladder. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 332, 286–297 (1974)
Bourguet, J., Jard, S.: Un dispositif automatique de mesure et d'enregistrement du flux net d'eau à travers la peau et la vessie des amphibiens. Biochim. biophys. Acta (Amst.) 88, 442–444 (1964)
Carasso, N., Favard, P., Bourguet, J., Jard, S.: Rôle du flux net d'eau dans les modifications ultrastructurales de la vessie de grenouille stimulée par l'ocytocine. J. Microscopie 5, 519–522 (1966)
Carasso, N., Favard, P., Valerien, J.: Variations des ultrastructures dans les cellules épithéliales de la vessie du crapaud après stimulation par l'hormone neurohypophysaire. J. Microscopie 1, 143–158 (1962)
Chalcroft, J. P., Bullivant, S.: An interpretation of liver cell membrane and junction structure based on observation of freeze-fracture replicas of both sides of the fracture. J. Cell Biol. 47, 49–50 (1970)
Chevalier, J., Bourguet, J., Hugon, J. S.: Membrane associated particles: Distribution in frog urinary bladder epithelium at rest and after oxytocin treatment. Cell Tiss. Res., in press (1974)
Claude, P., Goodenough, D. A.: Fracture faces of zonulae occludentes from “tight” and leaky epithelia. J. Cell Biol. 58, 390–400 (1973)
Dibona, D. R.: Passive intercellular pathway in amphibian epithelia. Nature (Lond.) New Biol. 238, 179–181 (1972)
Dibona, D. R.: Interference-contrast observations of the mucosal surface of amphibian urinary bladders in vitro. Fed. Proc. 33, 1396 (1974)
Dibona, D. R., Civan, M. M.: Pathways for movement of ions and water across toad urinary bladder. I. Anatomic site of transepithelial shunt pathways. J. Membrane Biol. 12, 101–128 (1973)
Dibona, D. R., Civan, M. M., Leaf, A.: The cellular specificity of the effect of vasopressin on toad urinary bladder. J. Membrane Biol. 1, 79–91 (1969)
Friend, D. S., Gilula, N. B.: Variations in tight and gap junctions in mammalian tissues. J. Cell Biol. 53, 758–776 (1972)
Goodenough, D. A., Revel, J. P.: A fine structural analysis of intercellular junctions in the mouse liver. J. Cell Biol. 45, 272–290 (1970)
Jard, S., Bourguet, J., Favard, P., Carasso, N.: The role of intercellular channels in the transepithelial transfer of water and sodium in the frog urinary bladder. J. Membrane Biol. 4, 124–147 (1971)
Leaf, A.: Some actions of neurohypophyseal hormones on a living membrane. J. Gen. Physiol. 43, 175–189 (1960)
Orci, L., Matter, A., Rouiller, Ch.: A comparative study on freeze etch replicas and thin sections of rat liver. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 35, 1–19 (1971)
Pak Poy, R.F.K., Bentley, P. J.: Fine structure of the epithelial cells of the toad urinary bladder. Exp. Cell Res. 20, 235–237 (1960)
Ripoche, P., Bourguet, J., Parisi, M.: The effect of hypertonic media on water permeability of frog urinary bladder. Inhibition by catecholamines and prostaglandin E. J. gen. Physiol. 61, 110–124 (1973)
Ripoche, P., Pisam, M.: Ultrastructural modifications of frog urinary bladder epithelium under the influence of hypertonic media. Z. Zellforsch. 137, 13–19 (1973)
Staehelin, L. A., Mukherjee, T. M., Williams, A. W.: Freeze etch appearance of tight junctions in the epithelium of small and large intestine of mice. Protoplasma 67, 165–184 (1969)
Urakabe, S., Handler, J. S., Orloff, J.: Effect of hypertonicity on permeability properties of the toad urinary bladder. Amer. J. Physiol. 218, 1179–1187 (1970)
Wade, J. B., Revel, J. P., Discala, V. A.: Effect of osmotic gradients on intercellular junctions of the toad bladder. Amer. J. Physiol. 224, 407–415 (1973)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The authors are greatly indebted to Prof. M. Bessis for the use of freeze-etching facilities and to Mrs. R. Lemonnier for her skillful technical aid.
This work was supported in part by a grant from the Medical Research Council of Canada (J.H.).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chevalier, J., Ripoche, P., Pisam, M. et al. A time course study of water permeability and morphological alterations induced by mucosal hyperosmolarity in frog urinary bladder. Cell Tissue Res. 154, 345–356 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00223731
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00223731