Changes in Ultrastructure of Duodenal Crypts in X-Irradiated Mice

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Abstract
The effects of ionising radiation in the crypts of the duodenum of mice have been studied at the ultrastructural level during the first 24 hours after a dose of 1356 r of X-rays. The following changes were observed in the stem cells At 30 minutes after irradiation, the lesions consist of breaks in the plasmic, mitochondrial, and granular membranes. The other organelles are apparently undamaged. At 3 hours after irradiation, the presence of large cytoly-somes, distorted nuclei, and numerous swollen mitochondria are the prominent injuries. At 24 hours after irradiation, most of the stem cells show an atrophy of microvilli, and many nuclei are enlarged and multilobed. It must be noted that at this time only a few cytolysomes are still present in the cytoplasm; many mitochondria have a normal appearance. The centrosomes in the cells are normal at all times after irradiation. Goblet, Paneth and enterochromaffin cells show only small modifications in their morphology.