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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 May 12.
Published in final edited form as: Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2014 Dec;20(12):2364–2378. doi: 10.1097/MIB.0000000000000142

FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 3

Ultrastructure of intestinal MCs in proximity to nerve endings in GI disorders. MCs are granulocytes that can be identified in tissue section by electron microscopy based on their characteristic monolobed nucleus, elongated surface folds (microplicae), and abundant cytoplasmic electron-dense granules (A). In the intestine, MCs (M) frequently reside in close proximity to blood vessels and nerves (N). Depicted are MCs adjacent to nerve endings and in various stages of activation (B–D) in a patient with IBS. White arrowheads highlight granules that are partially or completely empty. Reprinted from Giovanni Barbara et al, Gastroenterology 2007;132:p 30 with permission from Elsevier.