Figure 4

Ultrastructural (A: ×3750) and cytochemical (B-C: ×400) analysis of endometrial hypercytolipidemia depositions within epithelial cells of db/db mice localized within the basal (Lb) and perinuclear (Ln) compartments of affected cells. Digital enhancement (B) of cytoplasmic lipid vacuole accumulations (l) below the nuclear (n) layer, and within the perinuclear space (arrows), indicated intense TUNEL-indicated (black stain moieties) fragmentation of 3'-DNA components localized within the mitochondria-rich basal pole region as well as the nuclei (nT) of cells exhibiting lipoapoptosis. The cytochemical co-localization (C) of cytoplasmic lipid pools (yellow fluorescence) with TUNEL-labeled nuclear apoptotic DNA fragments (nT) within the same endometrial epithelial cell populations of db/db mutants indicated the coincident relationship between metabolic hypercytolipidemia and nuclear apoptosis-induced cytodissolution which resulted in uterine involution (Table I) and reproductive sterility.