Formation of Acid Mucopolysaccharides by Fibroblasts and Serosal Cells

Abstract

THE colloidal iron method modified for electron microscopy^1,2 has been used to investigate the distribution of acid mucopolysaccharides in the granulomatous reaction that takes place on the surface of implants of egg-white placed in the peritoneal cavity of the rat³. This reaction leads to the formation within 4 or 5 days of a thin layer (25–50µ) of avascular fibrous tissue which is covered 1 or 2 days afterwards by a layer of serosal cells. The fibroblasts and the serosal cells both possess a very prominent Golgi apparatus and a well-developed endo-plasmic reticulum. When granulomata are reacted in bulk with colloidal iron the Golgi apparatus of both types of cell gives a positive colloidal iron reaction; this is confined to the round, more superficial vesicles (Fig. 1) and the central flattened sacs do not react. In contrast the endoplasmic reticulum never takes up iron. Isolated vesicles scattered at random throughout the cytoplasm also take up iron.