Pattern of osmium deposition in the parietal cells of the stomach

Parietal cells of the stomach of the hamster show extensive amounts of dense material in a variety of organelles after prolonged exposure to a solution of osmium tetroxide. Conspicuous amounts of reduced osmium compounds are evident within the granular endoplasmic reticulum, perinuclear cisterna, and vesicular elements of the Golgi complex. Dense material is also apparent within cristae of the mitochondria, the surface coat of the microvilli of the intracellular canaliculus, and vesicular elements of the multivesicular bodies. Multivesicular bodies, containing numerous small osmiophilic elements, are often seen surrounding and/or in close contact with mitochondria. The proximity of the multivesicular bodies to the mitochondria appears to be related to an autophagic process involving degradation of mitochondria. The distribution and intensity of the precipitates within the organelles of the parietal cells vary in different regions of the gastric glands. The findings of this study emphasize that cell structures other than the Golgi complex may contain large concentrations of reduced osmium compounds after prolonged exposure to a solution of osmium tetroxide.