Intercellular Bridges as Protoplasmic Anastomoses between Smooth Muscle Cells

Abstract

In electron microscopic studies, protoplasmic anastomoses were found to occur between smooth muscle cells in the gastrointestinal tracts of rats. The protoplasmic connections are apparently cylindrical in form and contain cytoplasm having a density similar to that of the cellular regions connected. The membranes enclosing the cytoplasmic connections are continuous with the membranes of the connected cells. These connecting structures have been called intercellular bridges, which is adequately descriptive if emphasis is placed on the interpretation that they represent protoplasmic anastomoses. To emphasize this, the term may be modified; i.e., anastomotic intercellular bridges.