Further observations on upper urinary tract smooth muscle

Summary

Light and electron microscopic techniques have been employed to study the arrangement and distribution of two types of muscle in the upper urinary tract of the rat. An outer layer of cells has been identified in the wall of the renal calix and pelvis. These cells are separated by connective tissue but possess numerous processes which make close contacts with adjacent cells. A layer of similar cells has not been observed in the wall of the upper ureter. The inner layer of muscle in the calix and pelvis is composed of larger cells similar to and apparently continuous with ureteric muscle. These cells are closely related to one another without intervening connective tissue and possess numerous bundles of myofilaments which extend along the length of the cell. The two types of muscle are closely related and, in the junctional region, cells of the outer layer are arranged along the length and make close contacts with one or more of the inner smooth muscle cells. A quantitative estimation has been made of nerve bundles associated with smooth muscle forming the outer layer of the calix and pelvis and with the muscle of the ureter. The results have shown a five fold increase in nerves associated with the caliceal muscle when compared with the ureter. The results are discussed in relation to the concept of a ureteric pacemaker.