title: Presence of vesicular bodies and thick basal laminae in the nephron of the desert gerbil Meriones crassus.
abstract: Kidney samples of the adult gerbil Meriones crassus were aldehyde fixed and Epon embedded for studies of the general features of various parts of the nephrons, with particular attention to their basal laminae in all regions. Results obtained showed the presence of thick basal laminae (2-6 microns) in the parietal layer of Bowman's capsule, proximal convoluted tubule, thin loop of Henle and distal convoluted tubule. With the aid of the electron microscope, extracellular vesicular bodies were observed within the thick basal laminae in the previous regions. The bodies (50-500 nm in diameter) were found at various levels of the basal laminae. Some of them appeared to have been pinched off directly from the epithelial layer and to have moved to the underlying basal lamina, which may suggest that these vesicular bodies originated from the epithelial layer. The bodies, with a variable electron opacity, may be found either in small groups or as a single structure surrounded by a clear halo of basal lamina.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Kuwait, Safat.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Safer
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: al-Ajmi
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Bou-Resli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005849:Gerbillinae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007685:Kidney Tubules, Collecting / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007686:Kidney Tubules, Distal / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007687:Kidney Tubules, Proximal / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009399:Nephrons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure