Calcium in smooth muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum in situ. Conventional and X-ray analytical electron microscopy.

Abstract

Numerous electron-opaque deposits appear in the SR of the relaxed smooth muscle cells of the guinea pig Taenia coli that had been treated, before fixation, with a depolarizing medium containing oxalate to precipitate calcium ions in situ. X-ray spectra obtained by spot and line-scanning analyses of these deposits in situ show characteristic calcium signals, thus providing direct evidence for calcium accumulation inside the sarcoplasmic reticulum of smooth muscle.