The atrial myocardial cells of mouse heart: a structural and stereological study

Structural and stereological studies of mouse atrial myocardial cells, carried out in the same fashion as our previous investigations on mouse ventricle, demonstrate an extremely well-developed sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) in atrial cells. The volume fraction (Vv) of the SR exceeds 12% in mouse atrial cells; perimyofibrillar network SR constitutes the major portion. We have confirmed the findings of Bossen et al. (1981, Tissue Cell 13, 71-77) of a difference between atria in terms of coupling density, the right atrium having a significantly lower incidence of interior junctional SR than the left. The SR of mouse atrium comprises a rich variety of specialized segments, including the IJSR, peripheral junctional SR, corbular SR, cisternal SR (including regions similar to fenestrated collars of striated skeletal muscle SR), as well as a peculiar form of extended junctional SR (EJSR). Although less frequent in occurrence than corbular SR, the EJSR seems closely related, since it occurs in multiple clusters at or near the Z-line regions, contains internal granular densities, and bears surface-connected structures resembling junctional processes. Seen in thin sections, mouse atrial EJSR elements are more complex than corbular SR, being larger in diameter and frequently circular in profile. Thick-section and serial-section analyses reveal that bodies of EJSR are in fact hollow spheroids. The transverse-axial tubular system of mouse atrium is rather poorly developed in comparison to its ventricular counterpart. The Golgi apparatus and associated specific atrial granules are prominent cell components. "Focal ellipsoidal deposits" (FEDs) previously described by Page and co-workers (1986, Amer. J. Physiol.) are consistently located adjacent to the Golgi region, but immunocytochemical staining for two different segments of atrial natriuretic peptide reveals no specific reaction in FEDs, whereas the SAGs are densely labeled for both antibodies.