Ultrastructural study of the adjoining areas between the endothelial cells of the rabbit heart lymph vessels.
The transendothelial transport across the lymph vessel wall is connected to the morphological and ultrastructural features of the lymph vessel endothelium. In the present study the lymph vessel wall and the adhesion areas between contiguous endothelial cells of the rabbit heart were examined also by means of serial sections. This examination allowed us to reconstruct the whole intercellular connecting areas and to clarify some discussed adhesion structures. The adjoining cells are connected by three types of contact: end to end, overlapping and interdigitation. In addition the cellular processes form intraendothelial, tortuous channels with focal specialized junctional areas. Only occasional open junctions are present. Our features are discussed and compared with the sometimes conflicting literature data on the morphological properties of these adjoining areas for their significance in the mechanisms of lymph formation.
D000818:Animals; D004727:Endothelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009206:Myocardium / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011817:Rabbits