Three-dimensional organization of smooth muscle cells in blood vessels of laboratory rodents.
Three-dimensional aspects of smooth muscle cells of the microvasculature were studied ultrastructurally in laboratory rodents by means of serial thin sections and reconstruction of muscle cell models. It was demonstrated that a muscle cell of an arteriole (luminal diameter (LD) 17 microns) in hamster striated muscle was spindle-shaped, 70 microns long, and wound twice round the vessel axis. The volume of the cell was calculated as 750 microns3 and its surface area as 1330 microns2. A muscle cell in an arteriole (LD 6 microns) in the rat retina was irregular in shape, about 22 microns long, and had branched processes. The cell volume was calculated as 139 microns3 and its surface area as 298 microns2.
D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000166:cytology*; D001160:Arterioles / Q000166:cytology*; D006224:Cricetinae; D051379:Mice; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008954:Models, Biological; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009132:Muscles / Q000098:blood supply; D010179:Pancreas / Q000098:blood supply; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000098:blood supply