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

Figure 5 Series of virtual slices covering 19. 9 μm thickness of the ganglion from one patient. A: Two portions of the ganglion with smooth muscle cells between them. Long arrows indicate the continuous layer of telopodes with tiny vesicles bordering the ganglion. A string of glial cell nuclei was present within the left portion. The thick arrow shows the vacuole above the nucleus of the neuron. Four small dark granules were present in the other neurons. Inset: Several vacuoles fill the cytoplasm of the two degenerating neurons (light microscopy and H&E staining); B: 7.4 μm deeper from Figure A. Between the thin arrows there is no continuous layer of telopodes, instead some vesicles are seen. The left portion has disappeared. The remaining portion is part of a pre-apoptotic neuron with a dark cytoplasm and pyknotic nucleus (arrowhead). Above this neuron is the nuclei of normal glial cells. The thick arrow indicates a vacuole in the neuron. Inset: Apoptotic neurons with strongly amphophilic cytoplasm and rest of the pyknotic nuclei (light microscopy; H&E staining); C: 7.8 μm deeper from Figure B. The defect of the telopodes (between the thin arrows) was shorter. Double layer of telopodes below the defect. In the upper part of the ganglion, there is a large neuron with a few small dark, dense dots, whereas the pre-apoptotic neuron from the middle of the ganglion is no longer present; D: 4.7 μm deeper from Figure C. There is a continuous layer of telopodes (between arrows) with a “remnant” of the double layer, as shown in Figure C. The dark granules in the neurons were larger and more numerous. Arrowhead shows a neuron with both dark granules and vacuoles. Inset: The cytoplasm of the neurons was filled with diastase-resistant PAS+ lipofuscin granules (light microscopy; PAS-D staining). The scale bar (50 µm) applies to all the subfigures. Ggl: Ganglion; H&E: Hematoxylin & eosin; n: Neuron; PAS: Periodic acid-Schiff; PAS-D: Periodic acid-Schiff with diastase; SMC: Smooth muscle cells.