Chemical nature of atrial specific granules

The specific granules are argentafugic when ultrathin sections of Araldite-embedded atria are stained according to the periodic acid-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate technique of Thiery. The entire core of the atrial specific granules is moderately positive after ultrathin sections of glutaraldehyde-fixed, glycol methacrylate- (GMA-) embedded atria are stained with phosphotungstic acid at a low pH. A similar reaction is shown by the cell coat, intercalated discs, residual bodies (C-granules), and Z-discs, as well as by a very small portion of the Golgi complex. Analogous results are obtained with semithin sections of GMA- embedded atria stained according to the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) technique. In ultrathin sections of GMA-embedded atria stained with dialyzed colloidal iron (DI), the cell coat of the cardiocytes is positive, unlike all the other cytoplasmic organelles. When ultrathin sections of GMA-embedded atria are incubated with proteolytic enzymes (pronase, pepsin, or trypsin), atrial specific granules and Z-bands and, to a much lesser degree, cell coat and sarcolemma are selectively digested. Proteins are also distinctly demonstrated in the paranuclear specific granules by a variety of histochemical techniques. These results indicate that atrial specific granules are rich in proteins and possess a weak complement of complex carbohydrates.