Subcellular Distribution of Some Inorganic Cations in the Vaginal Epithelium of the Rat

Abstract

Hardin & Spicer, 1970) showed the presence of electron-opaque antimonate precipitates that could be analysed by microprobe. Analysis provided evidence that the precipitates represented such inorganic cations as Ca, Mg or Na (Tandler et al., 1970;Kierszenbaum et al., 1971). In the present study, the subcellular distribution ofinorganic cations was studied in the vaginal epithelium of control and experimental rats.Ten 60-day-old rats, used as controls, were killed during pro-oestrus. Twenty\x=req-\ four experimental rats were allocated equally to two groups: (1) ovariectomized, and (2) ovariectomized and primed with a single subcutaneous dose of 1 \ g=m\ g oestradiol in 0\m=.\1ml peanut oil. Six rats from each group were perfused (Palay, McGee-Russell, Gordon & Grillo, 1962) with a saturated solution of potassium pyroantimonate, pH 9\m=.\2(Riedel-De H\l=a"\enAg., Seelze, Hannover, Germany, analytical reagent). The vagina was dissected out and immersed in a large amount of fixative for 3 hr at room temperature (22\ s=deg\ C). The tissue was hardened in a formaldehyde\p=m-\potassiumpyroantimonate solution, washed with distilled water and post-osmicated as previously described (Kierszenbaum et al., 1971). After dehydration, the tissue was embedded in Maraglas epoxiresin.Four control rats and six rats from each of the experimental groups were killed without previous perfusion and the vaginae were directly immersed in the fixative and processed as described. Thin sections (about 0-1 µ ) were cut in a Porter Blum microtome mounted in Formvar-coated grids and were examined unstained with a Siemens Elminskop I electron microscope.Removal of the antimonate deposits was accomplished by floating the grids on a drop of 1 /400 oxalic acid solution for 1 min and washing in distilled water. The sections were stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. 283

Electron Microscopy of Human Vaginal Epithelium Under Normal and Experimental Conditions

“…Several types of cell junctions were also recognized between the vaginal epithelial cells of a number of species: guinea-pig (Burgos & Wislocki, 1958), hamster (Vargas Linares & Burgos, 1965; Vargas Linares, 1968), rat (Schuchner, Paczy & Asch, 1972) …”