Structure of the myenteric plexus in normal and diseased human ileum analyzed by X-ray virtual histology slices

Figure 4 Series of virtual slices covering 17. 2 μm thickness of the ganglion from one patient. A: Four portions of the ganglion. There is a dark body at the center of one of these areas (arrowheads). An arrow indicates a neuron with a very pale homogeneous cytoplasm below the nucleus. Between the straight lines, a network of telopodes is observed on the ganglion surface. Incomplete septa between portions. Scale bar (50 µm) is applied to subfigures A-D. Inset: Hyaline body in the ganglion [1^st level of serial sections; light microscopy; periodic acid-Schiff with diastase (PAS-D) staining]; B: 6.8 μm from Figure A., three portions of the ganglia are completely separated, and the surface area is smaller (between straight lines). The central dark body shows an irregular dense outer layer and central light area (arrowhead). A new neuron with pale cytoplasm is seen in the middle portion (short arrow). Intact telopodes form the border between the ganglion and the periganglional connective tissue rim (thin arrows). An almost triangle-shaped moderately dense area is seen below the telopode telopode corresponding to an apoptotic neuron (long arrow; see also C and D). Inset: The central region of the hyaline body is negative, whereas the outer layer is positive with PAS-D staining (2^nd level of serial sections, light microscopy; PAS-D); C: 4.0 μm from Figure B. The hyaline body is without a central pale area (arrowhead), with a semi-dense irregular half-moon to the left. The two neurons had a pale cytoplasm (short arrows). A dark pyknotic nucleus appeared in the semi-dense cytoplasm at the border showing an apoptotic neuron corresponding to the “dark triangle” in Figure B (long arrow); D: 6.4 μm deeper from Figure C. Two of the portions are united. Nuclei are present in neurons with pale cytoplasm (short arrows). Intact telopodes are present between the degenerated apoptotic cells (long arrow) and the periganglional space (thin arrow); E: Digital magnification of a shrunken neuron with a darker cytoplasm, small vacuoles, and enlarged nucleolus. Scale bar: 25 µm Inset: Pre-apoptotic neurons with pyknotic nucleus and vacuole-containing amphophilic cytoplasm (light microscopy; H&E staining); F: There is a homogeneous circumscribed “inclusion” in the neuron, suggesting a sequestosome, as seen in the inset (arrow). Scale bar: 25 µm. Inset: Large p62⁺ aggregates in neurons (arrow; light microscopy; p62 immunohistochemistry). Scales bars of 50 or 25 µm included. Ggl: Ganglion; n: Neuron; PAS-D: Periodic acid-schiff with diastase.