A Quantitative Light and Electron Microscopic Study of Hamster Tracheal Epithelium with Special Attention to So-Called Intermediate Cells

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Abstract
Epithelial cells of the hamster lower trachea were studied and quantified by high resolution light microscopy and EM. The epithelium was composed of basal, secretory and ciliated cells; preciliated cells were extremely rare in the undisturbed epithelium. A few cells were of indeterminate character. Correlative light microscopy and EM indicated that .apprx. 10% of the basal cell population, categorized by light microscopy, was composed of the nucleated basal portions of tortuous secretory cells. EM revealed that the light microscopic indeterminate category was heterogeneous, being composed of several cell types, including secretory cells with scant secretion granules, some tall basal cells and very few cells that were truly indeterminate. Literature review and present results indicated that several different cell types, including secretory cells with sparse secretions and preciliated cells, were previously called intermediate cells. There are difficulties in accurately classifying certain types of tracheal epithelial cells, especially at the light microscopic level.