Engulfment of erythrocytes by intestinocytes of the rat ileum.
The innervation of ileal mucosa of normal, unanaesthetized male Wistar rats was investigated electronmicroscopically. The presence of RBC inside intestinocytes was a secondary, but frequent observation in 4 of 20 rats. No sign of hemorrhage or trauma of the tissue was noted, and the rats had not been exposed to any known toxic agent. The study demonstrates that also intestinocytes have the capacity to engulf RBC, as many other types of epithelial cells. However, previous demonstration of RBC phagocytosis of epithelia was performed in tissues where hemorrhage had occurred for various reasons. In contrast, the rats of the present study were considered normal, although the influence of unknown agents cannot be ruled out.
D000818:Animals; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D007082:Ileum / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010587:Phagocytosis; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains