Open AccessHuman myometrium – the ultrastructural 3D network of telocytes
Author(s) -
Creţoiu Sanda M.,
Creţoiu Dragos,
Popescu Laurentiu M.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of cellular and molecular medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.44
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1582-4934
pISSN - 1582-1838
DOI - 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2012.01651.x
Subject(s) - ultrastructure , microvesicles , vesicle , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , extracellular vesicles , interstitial space , extracellular , interstitial cell , anatomy , myometrium , uterus , membrane , microrna , biochemistry , genetics , endocrinology , gene
Telocytes ( TC s), a novel type of interstitial cells, were recently described in the interstitial space of tissues ( www.telocytes.com ). Telocytes TC s have several very long, moniliform extensions, namely telopodes (Tps). However, the functional role(s) of TC s is not yet understood. Successive photomicrographs of ultrathin sections were concatenated to capture the entire length of Tps which usually measure tens to hundreds of micrometres. Besides the podoms (dilations) and podomers (thin segments), ultrastructural features of Tps include the dichotomous branching and establishing homo‐ and heterocellular contacts. Telopodes make a labyrinthine system by 3D convolution and overlapping, their number being roughly estimated at approximately 20 per 1000 μm 2 . Moreover, the presence of extracellular vesicles (shedding vesicles/exosomes) along the Tps suggests an active intercellular signalling (micro‐ and macromolecules), with possible significance in regulating uterine contractility.