Clarification of the intercellular space phenomenon in toad urinary bladder
1Laboratory of Renal Biophysics, The Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, 02114, Boston, Massachusetts.
Abstract:
Vasopressin has been noted to increase the size of the intercellular spaces of toad bladder epithelium even in the absence of an osmotic gradient. The present studies demonstrate that the same phenomenon may be obtained in the presence or absence of a transepithelial gradient of glutaraldehyde indicating that the effect is not a fixation artifact. Morphologic evidence is presented demonstrating continuity between the epithelium and underlying smooth muscle. The data support the concept that not only net water flow, but also changes in smooth muscle tone can appreciably affect the epithelial geometry.
Related Concept Videos
Urinary Bladder
In males, the bladder is situated in front of the rectum, while in females, it is positioned anterior to the vagina and uterus. The bladder floor contains an inverted triangular area called the trigone, defined by the two ureteric...
Anatomy of the Genitourinary System II: Bladder and Urethra
Physiology of the Genitourinary System II: Tubular Reabsorption and Secretion
Formation of Concentrated Urine
Physiology of the Genitourinary System III: Urine Concentration and Dilution
Formation of Dilute Urine
Filtrate Osmolarity in the PCT
Initially, as the filtrate passes through the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), its...


