Three dimensional ultrastructural analysis of fibroblasts and their cellular network in the connective tissue by FIB/SEM tomography

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26293040
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: General anatomy (including histology/embryology)
• Research Institution: Kurume University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAMURA KEIICHIRO 久留米大学, 医学部, 教授 (20172398)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 太田 啓介 久留米大学, 医学部, 准教授 (00258401) ; 林 篤正 久留米大学, 医学部, 講師 (20341357) ; 金澤 知之進 久留米大学, 医学部, 講師 (50529518) ; 東 龍平 久留米大学, 医学部, その他 (70569516) ; 都合 亜記暢 久留米大学, 医学部, その他 (80569517) ; 力丸 由起子 (西由起子) 久留米大学, 医学部, 助教 (90368960)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 線維芽細胞 / 結合組織 / 細胞ネットワーク / 三次元微細構造 / FIB/SEM / 電子顕微鏡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to reevaluate the connective tissue cellular construction, we have performed FIB/SEM tomography analysis; a novel election microscope technique that enables to obtain serial fine microscopic images and three dimensional ultrastructural analysis by reconstructing structures on image analyzing PC system, upon dermal tissue of the skin, wall of urogenital organs, tendon-bone junction, and periodontal ligaments, following the ordinary histological observations. As results, our FIB/SEM tomographic observations have revealed that the cells usually show very thin, flat, and undulated sheet-like shape, although the shape usually described as spindle or dendritic with one or more thin processes. Those cells are connected one another to form cellular network, and the flat surface of them divide the connective tissue space into small compartments (compartmentalization), which could play important functional roles for biomedical phenomenon.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学