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Multinucleate giant enterocytes in small intestinal villi after irradiation
Author(s) -
Carr K. E.,
Hamlet R.,
Nias A. H. W.,
Watt C.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1981.tb01292.x
Subject(s) - giant cell , multinucleate , transmission electron microscopy , syncytium , electron microscope , biology , microscopy , mitosis , connective tissue , enterocyte , biophysics , small intestine , microbiology and biotechnology , anatomy , pathology , cell , optics , materials science , biochemistry , nanotechnology , medicine , genetics , physics
SUMMARY Scanning electron microscopy of the small intestine of the mouse 5 days after X‐ or neutron irradiation has revealed the formation of giant cells on the villus surface. Correlative light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy have shown that these giant cells are syncytial in nature. Characteristic features of lipid inclusions and apical microvilli suggest that these syncytia are giant enterocytes. It has also been shown that these giant cells are in contact with the connective tissue core of the villus and have a close contact with the normal enterocytes, thus maintaining mucosal integrity. It is postulated that radiation damage has caused incomplete separation during mitosis and that attempted division occurs outside the crypts of Lieberkuhn.