Quantitative studies of the cat carotid body. III. The type I cells.
The work reported here examines the quantitative ultrastructure of cat carotid body type I cells, and the effects of hypoxia on the cells. On the basis of size and density of electron-dense cored vesicle (EDCV) we were unable to identify more than one major population of type I cells. Prior ventilation of the animals with 10% O2 resulted in an increase in the volume percentage (Vv%) of mitochondria and a decrease in the Vv% of EDCV as compared to the values after ventilation with 100% O2. The lack of effect of prior denervation of the carotid body on the hypoxic changes suggests that the effects are not mediated via an efferent pathway.
D000818:Animals; D002344:Carotid Body / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002415:Cats; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000473:pathology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000648:ultrastructure