Chemical digestion and SEM analysis revealed that goat heart Purkinje fibers were broader and shorter than ordinary muscle cells, forming a dense interconnected network.
This study details the distinct surface morphology of goat heart Purkinje fibers compared to ordinary ventricular muscle cells using electron microscopy.
Purkinje fibers from the ventricles of adult goat hearts were investigated by transmission (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The Purkinje fibers located beneath the endocardium were enveloped in a large number of collagen fibers and basal laminae as seen with TEM. In case of SEM, the heart tissues were treated with NaClO followed by HCl-tween or HCl-col-lagenase to reveal the stromal surface of the Purkinje fibers. With the NaClO-treatment, the endocardial endothelium was digested, while with the HCl-tween or HCl-collagenase treatment the collagen fibers and basal laminae were removed. The present SEM analysis demonstrated that the Purkinje fibers differed from ordinary muscle cells with regard to surface structure. The former was broader and shorter the latter. The Purkinje strands composed of bundles of roughly oval cells were interconnected to form a dense network, finally joining with the ordinary ventricular muscle cells.
Shimada et al. (Sat,) reported a other. Chemical digestion (NaClO and HCl-tween/collagenase) vs. Ordinary ventricular muscle cells was evaluated on Surface structure and morphology. Chemical digestion and SEM analysis revealed that goat heart Purkinje fibers were broader and shorter than ordinary muscle cells, forming a dense interconnected network.