Figure 2

Ultrastructural (× 7350) analysis of control (A: +/+) endometrial epithelial tissue cells indicated prominent central nuclei (n) supported by a well-defined smooth stromal basal lamina (bl) and a cytoplasm possessing a rich organelle population including abundant mitochondrial (m) and prominent rough endoplasmic reticulum (er) compartments in the basal pole regions, as well as a well-developed Golgi vesicular apparatus (gv) and surface ciliary (cl) arrangement in the apical zones. In contrast, the endometrial epithelial cell layers of diabetes (db/db) mutant groups (B) were characterized by a convoluted bl membrane and a sub-nuclear (n) region dominated by enormous concentrations of basal pole lipid (Lb) vacuoles. Intracytoplasmic migration of the lipid into the perinuclear compartment (Ln), as well as a prominent reduction in basal cytoplasmic organelle populations, occurred in conjunction with nuclear envelope convolutions, with internal nuclear membrane invaginations associated with Ln depositions (arrows). Apical pole lipid (La) vacuole densities were prominent in db/db epithelial tissue samples, and were associated with expanded Golgi vesicular (gv) cisterns and blunted apical ciliary (cl) arrays as compared with +/+ structural (A) indices.