The anatomical location of the series elastic component in rat vascular smooth muscle.

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Abstract
Flash photomicrographs using Nomarski optics were taken of the smooth muscle cells in an activated arterial resistance vessel preparation (i.d. [internal diameter] .apprx. 150 .mu.m) before and after a quick release of internal circumference to determine the location of the series elastic component (SEC). If the SEC lies mainly within the smooth muscle cells, then, while the position of an intracellular structure would change during a release, there would be little change in its position after the release during tension recovery. The movement of intracellular structures during a quick release, x, and the corresponding movement during tension recovery, y, was determined by taking double flash exposures at the appropriate times and measuring the separation of the double images on the film. In 85 pairs of measurements from 7 vessels the ratio y/x was 0.21 .+-. 0.02 (SE). Less than half of the smooth muscle SEC resides in extracellular components. The active dynamic stiffness of smooth muscle cells is substantially less than that of skeletal muscle fibers.