EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE FUNCTION OF THE VESICAL MUCOUS MEMBRANE

Abstract

Light and electron microscope studies were made on the transitional epithelium of the urinary bladder of rabbits. The change in the vesical epithelium was also observed in the urinary bladder which was artificially kept in the urine-filling or empty state. Moreover, the absorptive ability was examined by administrating the Indian ink into the urinary bladder. The results are as follows.
The superficial cells contain vesicles, vacuoles or swollen mitochondria and are characterized by incisions with various depths. In the cells in the middle layer, vesicles, interdigitation or Golgi apparatus can be observed. In this layer, the dark cells diffrent clearly from the surrounding cells in the electron density were recognized by the author. The basal cells are irregular in shape and their cell bodies and nuclei are small.
When the bladder was kept in the empty state by changing the urinary tract, the superficial layer was most severely affected. Both the incisions on the free surface and the large or small vacuoles already disappeared one week after the operation. The mitochondria in the cells of this layer swelled. The change in the cells of the middle and basal layer was less than that in the superficial cells.
In the experiments with use of the Indian ink, the vacuoles in various sizes were observed within the superfcial cells and the ink particles were seen in the intercellular space of this layer. The bladder which was maintained in the empty state showed no absorptive ability.