Endothelial cell protrusions in the rat aortic wall. Immunocytochemical evidence for an alternative transendothelial passage of plasma proteins.
Focal morphological changes in the endothelial lining were observed in the aortic wall of control rats. They consisted of endothelial cytoplasmic projections and vacuolar structures protruding towards the luminal space and containing electron-dense material. Some of these structures were observed to open into the subendothelial space. Endogenous albumin was detected in these compartments by applying protein A-gold immunocytochemistry to thin tissue sections of glutaraldehyde-fixed, Lowicryl-embedded aortic segments. The labelling was mainly distributed along the plasma membrane of the projections as well as over the dense content of the endothelial protrusions. The presence of endogenous albumin in these endothelial structures, together with their opening into the subendothelial space, suggests a role for these structures in an alternative transendothelial transport of albumin.
Department of Anatomy, University of Montreal, Québec, Canada.
I
I
Londoño
M
M
Bendayan
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001692:Biological Transport; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism*
D012709:Serum Albumin