Structural and molecular features of intestinal strictures in rats with Crohn's-like disease

Figure 5 Post-embedding immunogold labelling for caspase 9 in the smooth muscle cells and myenteric ganglia in the colon of control animals and in rats treated three times with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid. Representative electron micrograph of a myenteric ganglion (MG) from the strictured gut wall (S) 120 d after the third 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) administration (A). The 18 nm gold particles labelling caspase 9 immunoreactivity (arrows) were mainly associated with mitochondria (M). Bar: 200 nm. The number of gold particles in the S was increased significantly in the smooth muscle cells on day 90 (B) and also in the MGs on day 120 (C) as compared with the gut wall in the control rats (C). Data are expressed as mean ± SE. ^bP < 0.01, ^dP < 0.001 TNBS-treated groups vs age-matched controls; ^fP < 0.01 TNBS-treated group on the day 90 vs TNBS-treated group on day 120.