title: Ultrastructural changes in the lysosomes of rachitic intestinal absorptive cells.
abstract: In chicks maintained on a rachitogenic (vitamin D deficient) diet, the number of intestinal absorptive cell calcium-lysosomes is markedly decreased in comparison to normal animals. In addition, the majority (better than 50%) of these rachitic calcium-lysosomes are atypical in their fine structure resembling the lamellar bodies seen in certain diseases (Tay-Sachs disease, Duchenne's muscular dystrophy). Such atypical organelles are characterized by their internal membranous swirls reminiscent of myelin figures. This information appears to be a further indication that lysosomes are normally involved in calcium homeostatic mechanisms and therefore sensitive to circulating vitamin D levels.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D002645:Chickens; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004386:Duodenum / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012279:Rickets / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium