Diabetes-related intestinal region-specific thickening of ganglionic basement membrane and regionally decreased matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression in myenteric ganglia

Figure 3 Representative electron micrographs subjected to matrix metalloproteinase 9 post-embedding immunohistochemistry. A: Myenteric ganglia from a control duodenum; B: A diabetic ileum; and C: Capillary endothelium and intestinal smooth muscle from a control duodenum. The 18 nm gold particles (arrows) indicating matrix metalloproteinase 9 were observed in cytosol, nuclei or in association with intracellular organelles and plasma membrane. Scale bars: 500 nm. P: Neuronal perikaryon; N: Nucleus; SMC: Smooth muscle cell; EC: Endothelial cell; LU: Capillary lumen.