A freeze-fracture study of two types of collagen-phagocytosing cell in the post-partum rat endometrium.
In the post-partum rat endometrium, ultrastructural distinction could be made between stromal cells (fibroblast-like cells) and macrophages, especially by the freeze-fracture technic. The stromal cells were characterized by a well-developed rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and intercellular junctions, while the macrophages had many vacuoles and vesicles, but no intercellular contact with each other. The freeze-fracture image showed that the stromal cells had many low linear elevations and gap junctions on the cleaved plane of the cell membranes, while the macrophages had no linear elevations or intercellular junctions. The cell membranes of the stromal cells had more intramembranous particles (IMP) (P-face 697 +/- 63/micrometers 2, E-face 303 +/- 52/micrometers 2) than those of the macrophages (P-face 467 +/- 50/micrometers 2, E-face 217 +/- 35/micrometers 2). It was confirmed that these two types of cell phagocytosed collagen fibrils.
D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D008264:Macrophages / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010587:Phagocytosis; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D003094:Collagen