[Preliminary observations on junctional intercellular communication in the epidermis of the adult mammal skins].
1. Shown by the sagittal cryostat-microsections, the epidermis of the adult mouse and rabbit skins consisted of 3-4 layers of cells, occupying about 40 mu in thickness. When advancing a penetrating microelectrode from the surface of the epidermis vertically downward into its depth, the cell membrane potentials of these layers in series, being -4---8mv, -6---20mv, -12---20mv, -12---20mv, respectively, could be got. These potentials, in turn, could be used to mark the proper insertion of the electrode in cell of a desired layer. Beyond the depth of 40 mu usually no membrane potential was met. 2. Microinjection of carboxyfluorescein (CoF) into cell in the first (shallowest) epidermal layer, no matter how long the injection time was, produced restricted dye transfer-only to 1 or 2 neighbor cells. Transfer to 3-5 neighbor cells would be seen in 15 min. after 7 min. of CoF injection into cell in the 2nd layer, and this number would slowly increased if the injection time was further prolonged. Similar CoF injection into cell in the 3rd or 4th (Malpighi) layer resulted in dye transfer to 20-40 neighbor cells. Most testing injections in this work have been done to cells in the 3rd epidermal layer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Chen
D
D
Fujian Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou.
Wang
L
L
Zheng
Y
Y
Wu
B
B
Hu
X
X
D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D007365:Intercellular Junctions; D008297:Male; D016740:Meridians; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008839:Microelectrodes; D011817:Rabbits; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*