Delayed Ultrastructural Changes in Duodenal Crypts of X-irradiated Mice

Summary

Ultrastructural lesions of the duodenal crypt of whole-body irradiated mice are studied in the days following irradiation with 1350 r of x-rays.

The high cylindrical epithelium of stem cells is reduced to a flat cuboidal epithelium with atrophied microvilli; all the subcellular organites are affected: few ribosomes, irregular mitochondria, pale nuclei with very condensed nucleoli. The Paneth cells are abnormal with disappearance of normal zymogen granules. Only Kultchisky cells are almost intact.

These findings are discussed and compared with alterations provoked by certain chemical toxics.