Figure 1.

Distribution of GDNF+ cells, macrophages and mast cells identified in the chronically tapeworm infected small intestine. Images shown are representative of tissue samples taken from both cephalic jejunum and ileum. (a) Anti-ED2 antibody identification of macrophages in the lamina propria. Antibody apparently binds most strongly to the nuclear envelope. Mast cells (arrow) do not bind anti-ED2 antibody. (b) Anti-GDNF antibody binds to cytoplasmic granules in the cytoplasm of cells located in the lamina propria. (c) Colocalization of anti-GDNF (brown cytoplasmic staining) and anti-ED2 (dark nuclear envelope) antibodies indicates that GDNF is present in macrophages and not mast cells (arrow). (d) Photomicrograph of the small intestine wall, taken from the ileal region, show GDNF+ macrophages in the lamina propria in the villi and surrounding the crypts of Lieberkühn. GDNF+ macrophages are indicated by the brown to black spots, a few of which are indicated by the black arrows. The distribution of the GDNF+ macrophages is relatively higher in the lamina propria than in other layers of the intestinal wall: submucosa, muscularis externa (ME) and serosa. The dotted line delimits the lamina propria of the villi from that of the crypts. (a–c) Bar = 20 μm. (d) Bar = 0.11 mm.