Cytofunctional changes in E.U.E. cells adapted to hypertonic medium: scanning and transmission electron microscopy observations

In E.U.E. cells adapted to hypertonic medium, cytomorphological changes were studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy . SEM observations both on free cells and on cells cultured on coverslips pointed out that microvilli increase in number and size. An increase of anchorage plates was also observed. SEM observations were also performed on synchronized cells in different cell cycle phases. After 10 days of culture in hypertonic medium, the following cytological changes were observed by TEM in E.U.E. cells: 1) mitochondria appeared swollen, 2) Golgi apparatus number decreased and the organelle appeared to be in an active phase, 3) the rough reticulum and free ribosomes were noticeably decreased, 4) the intermediate filaments were considerably increased, 5) lipid droplets become more numerous, 6) the nucleus presented more numerous indentations and chromatin was more dispersed. After 5 days of deadaptation from hypertonic medium, the cell features appeared to became the same as in control