Ultrastructural studies on the secretory process in the epithelioid cells of the juxtaglomerular apparatus

The epithelioid cells of the juxtaglomerular apparatus have been studied with respect to the release mechanism of the secretory granules. Invaginations of the plasma membrane into the interior of the epithelioid cells are interpreted as stages before or after an exocytotic process. Granules are sometimes observed in close contact with the plasma membrane, and material with electron density similar to that of the granules can also be observed in the invaginations. These morphological features suggest that the granular material of the epithelioid cells is extruded into the texture of the basal lamina. Furthermore, a dense network of microtubules and microfilaments is described and the functional role of this system in exocytosis is discussed.