Extension Of Endoplasmic Reticulum Research Articles

Ultrastructure Characteristics of Different Chinese Medicine Syndromes of Helicobacter pylori-Correlated Gastric Diseases.

To explore the ultrastructure characteristics of patients with dampness-heat of Pi (Spleen)-Wei (Stomach) syndrome (DHPW) and Pi-qi deficiency syndrome (PQD), both of which are Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-correlated gastric diseases (HPCG), and implicate a helpful hint for the clinical microcosmic syndrome differentiation. Fourteen gastric mucosa samples from 6 chronic gastritis (CG) and 6 active peptic ulcer (including 8 DHPW, 4 PQD) as well as 2 healthy volunteers were collected and tested for Hp infection. The ultrastructure of gastric mucosa was observed under the transmission electron microscope (TEM). Among 14 gastric mucosa samples, 8 of them were Hp positive (6 DHPW and 2 PQD), which were all accordance with the results screened by supermicro-pathological method. Under TEM, the normal gastric mucosa, with tidy microvilli and abundant in mucus granules, mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum distributed evenly, and with smooth nucleus membrane. But in those specimens of DHPW with Hp infection, microvilli were presented with burr shape. Especially, those samples from dampness-heat syndrome with predominant heat type (DHSH) patients were more obvious, with microvilli damaged, mitochondria concentrated and distributed in disorder, secretory tubule extended. In dampness-heat syndrome with predominant dampness type (DHSD) patients, mucus granules aggregated obviously, mitochondria swelled and blurred, and rough endoplasmic reticulum crowded. For 2 samples of DHPW without Hp infection, their microvilli were intact, with mitochondria increased and gathered but well-distributed, and secretory tubule extended mildly. In 2 PQD patients with Hp positive, the specimens of microvilli were sparse, and their mucus granules and mitochondria were decreased, with fractured crests and vacuole, secretory tubules extension to nucleus membrane, and rough endoplasmic reticulum extension in a pool-like way, and nucleus condensed. The 2 samples from PQD patients without Hp infection were characterized with intact microvilli, decreased mitochondria, fractured crest and extended rough endoplasmic reticulum in a pool-like way. It's obviously different in ultrastructure of DHPW and PQD patients under TEM, which may give a helpful hint for the microcosmic syndrome differentiation of HPCG.

Bromocriptine-induced Morphological Changes in Cultured Growth Hormone producing Pituitary Adenoma Cells

Tumor tissues obtained from two patients with growth hormone-producing pituitary adenomas were cultured and treated with bromocriptine, then examined for morphological changes. Untreated tumor cells (controls) were morphologically well preserved and in terms of growth hormone secretion. Tumor cells exposed to bromocriptine for 7 days contained many vacuoles, which, after 14 days of exposure, grew larger and more numerous. These vacuoles appeared to be extensions of endoplasmic reticulum: some were connected to rough or smooth endoplasmic reticulum or, occasionally, to Golgi apparatus, and there were ribosomes on their surfaces. Bromocriptine apparently has cytocidal effects on growth hormone-producing pituitary adenoma in vitro.

What are the functions of kinesin?

AbstractA variety of intracellular motile processes involve the directed movement of particles along microtubules, including organelle transport, endoplasmic reticulum extension, and movements in mitosis. Recently, a microtubule‐dependent motor protein, kinesin, was purified and was found to be present in a soluble form in a wide variety of organisms and tissues. Because microtubules provide polar pathways over long distances within cells, kinesin and the motors which move in the opposite direction to kinesin on microtubules provide a mechanism for directed communications within cells. The possible roles of kinesin and other soluble microtubule‐dependent motors in intracellular motile functions are discussed in the light of recent studies of the reconstitution of organelle motility with isolated components.

The ultrastructure of the larval malpighian tubules of a saline-water mosquito

The larval Malpighian tubules of the saline-water mosquito Aedes taeniorhynchus were examined using light and electron microscopy. The tubules contain two cell types: primary cells and stellate cells. Primary cells are characterized by their size (70 μm × 70 μm × 10 μm) and an abundance of intracellular membranebound crystals. Two types of microvilli are found on the luminal surface of the primary cells: (1) small microvilli containing core microfilaments and extensions of endoplasmic reticulum, and (2) larger microvilli (≈3 μm in length) which in addition to the above components contain a mitochondrion along their entire length. Both microvillar types have abundant knobs lining the cytoplasmic surface of the microvillar membrane. These knobs, which are often found in insect ion transporting tissues, have been termed ‘portasomes’ by Harvey (1980). The possible role of these structures in ion transport and mitochondrial positioning is discussed. The stellate cells are much smaller than the primary cells, and lack intracellular crystals. Their microvilli are smaller as well (≈0.6 μm in length) and contain no endoplasmic reticulum. mitochondria or knobs. The cells types found in the saline-water mosquito larva, Aedes taeniorhynchus, are identical to those found in Aedes aegypti, indicating that the unique capacity of saline-water mosquito larvae to transport Mg 2+ and SO 4|post|staggered|2− is not associated with the presence of an additional cell type.