Electron microscopic study on the lipid content of intramitochondrial granules in proximal convoluted tubule of guinea pig kidney and their ability to accumulate calcium ions.

The intramitochondrial dense granules of the kidney proximal tubule fixed with OsO4 are osmiophilic since they are bleached by H2O2 treatment and they disappear after glutaraldehyde fixation alone. Following ethanol extraction and subsequent osmification these granules become invisible but pure aceton treatment does not greatly alter their osmiophilia. The findings suggests that the osmiophilic intramitochondrial granules are rich in phospholipids. When the kidney cortex is incubated in the presence of calcium of acetate, calcium accumulates on the intramitochondrial granules increasing their size and number. The intramitochondrial granules are found more frequently in tissues where the transport of water or ions is big. They contribute to the sodium transport (RIEDEL, BUCHER and ERKOCAK 1968). They are composed mainly of neutral lipids (SANZONE, SWARTZENDRUBER and SNYDER 1970) and phospholipids (WENDEL and BARNARD 1974). They are formed by the precipitation of calcium and other ions (GREENAWALT, ROSSI and LEHNINGER 1964; Peachey 1964). in this present work the structure of dense intramitochondrial granules has been studied regarding electron opaque materials. This way on one hand the lipids and the nucleic acids have been investigated, on the other hand the intramitochondrial granules have been loaded with calcium, a cation showing density in precipitated form and found in great amount into the cell.