CONFOCAL-MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF SKELETAL MUSCLE FIBRE MEMBRANE ORGANELLES DURING ZENKER'S (SPREADING) NECROSIS
S. A. Krolenko,1 S. Ya. Adamyan, T. N. Belyaeva, T. P. Mozhenok, A. V. Salova
Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg;
1 e-mail: Krolenko@mail.cytspb.rssi.ru
The changes of T-system and cellular acidic organelles during spreading (Zenker's) necrosis of frog skeletal
muscle fibres have been investigated using laser confocal microscopy and several vital fluorescent dyes - acridine
orange, RH 414, DiOC6(3), rhodamine 123, fluorescein dextran. The formation of numerous vacuoles as a
result of local T-system swelling is most characteristic for initial steps of Zenker's necrosis. Vacuoles can attain
tens microns in length. They are located both near nuclear poles and between myofibres. Vacuoles maintain
connections with the extracellular space up to the moment of contraction knot rejection, and under definite
conditions (glycerol influx to fibre) vacuoles are reversible. They deform nuclei and sarcoplasmic reticulum
cisternae. Cellular acidic organelles, accumulating acridine orange (lysosomes, late endosomes, Golgi apparatus
cisternae) are situated in direct vicinity with normal and vacuolated T-system. The increase in acidic organelles
number and size occur during the pathological process development, and tendency to vacuoles clusterization may be
seen. Vacuolation of T-system during necrosis is not followed by vacuole content acidification. The role of cellular
acidic organelles and of T-system vacuolation in the development of different muscle pathological changes is
discussed.
Key words: skeletal muscle fibre, spreading (Zenker's) necrosis, confocal microscopy, T-system,
vacuolation, acid organelles, acridine orange, RH 414
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