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Ultrastructural Alterations in Ileal M Cells of Rats after Chronic Ethanol Ingestion: Reversal after Cessation of Ethanol
Robert Eversole, Leonard Beuving, Roger Ulrich
Membranous (M) cells within the dome epithelium of ileal Peyer's patches have been shown to provide selective antigen entry for mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue. This study produced morphologic evidence of ethanol-induced disruption of the architecture in follicle-associated epithelium. The adherens type junctions of the lateral plasma membranes between M cells and columnar absorptive cells were disrupted. A 45-day exposure by ingestion of ethanol also produced marked changes in the ultrastructure of M cells. All experimental animals showed mitochondrial swelling with loss of matrix density, dilation of the endoplasmic reticulum and cytoplasmic vacuolization. The ethanol content of serum and chyme samples were 180 mg/dl and 160 mg/dl, respectively. This was well below the 4,280 mg/dl of the diet therefore a systemic mechanism was implicated for the changes observed. Membranous cells from the recovery group were normal 15 days after withdrawal from ethanol. We concluded that the ethanol-induced cytopathology in ileal M cells is reversible when ethanol exposure is discontinued. (J. Stud. Alcohol 53: 519-523, 1992)
