Smooth Muscle Cell [Myocytus Glaber (Leiomyocytus), Lnh; Syn.: Smooth Muscle Fiber, Leiomyocyte, Smooth Myocyte]

Smooth muscle cell (Myocytus glaber, Lnh, syn. Smooth muscle fiber) is the common name for spindle-shaped cells that contain myofilaments and form smooth muscle tissue, which is an important component of many organs and systems of the body. These cells play a key role in regulating muscle movement and contraction, as well as controlling blood pressure and other important body functions.

Smooth muscle cells have a rod-shaped nucleus and numerous mitochondria. They also contain many proteins such as actin, myosin, troponin and tropomyosin, which are involved in muscle contraction. Smooth muscle cells can also communicate with each other through specialized junctions called desmosomes.

The functions of muscle smooth cells include:

– Regulation of muscle tone;
– Movement control;
– Regulation of blood pressure;
– Participation in immune processes;
– Maintaining homeostasis of the body.

Dysfunction of muscle smooth cells can lead to various diseases, such as muscular dystrophy, myopathy, hypertension and others. Therefore, studying and understanding the mechanisms of muscle smooth cells is an important task for medical science.

Smooth muscle cell (Myocytus glabrus, Lnh.) is the main name of a smooth muscle cell, which is a contractile cell 5-30 µm long and 6-15 µm in diameter. The cells have a rod-shaped nucleus with a large nucleolus. Consists of myoplasm and smooth myofibrils. On preparations painted with acidic paints, it forms a compact mass, which in some places gives the progress of the preparation a velvety appearance - hence the name “smooth muscle cell”. In a light microscope, the nuclei are clearly visible, but under an optical microscope they are not visible. The cylindrical endoplasmic reticulum occupies a large space and carries out the synthesis and accumulation of contractile and energy substances in smooth muscle cells. The Golgi complex occupies the endoplasmic and nuclear apparatus. The concentration of ribonucleic acid grains in these cells is extremely low. Mitochondria, free of crystalline starch, are usually numerous and scattered in the cytoplasm. Membranes of intercellular contacts (tight) form a narrow layer between individual cells and unite them into complex fibers.

These cells have special morphological characteristics and are characterized by histochemical data. The tonic activity of smooth muscle fibers is determined by several important proteins: myosin, myosin light chains, and tropomyosin.

The fibers develop from the mesenchymal tissue of the embryonic embryo, while the formed fibers are very slowly destroyed and replaced by new ones. The body can synthesize myosin from amino acids and other compounds at any time if physiological needs require it. It is assumed that the innate property of the body at any age continues to synthesize and accumulate sufficient amounts of myosin to meet the needs of functioning muscle structures. To destroy myosin and restore smooth muscle potential, new mature myosin must be formed or the myosin contractile protein must be dissolved.

The result of age-related degenerative changes is a decrease in the amount of α-myosin I isoform bound in the myosin head, which causes loss of myocapacity.