A morphometric study of histological variations during cellular differentiation of normal human colorectal epithelium.

摘要: Quantifiable variations existing in the colorectal crypt during cellular differentiation were detected by using simple computer-aided morphometric techniques applied to routinely prepared H&E stained and semithin toluidine blue sections of normal colonic mucosa. Generally, most parameters including nuclear volume, volume weighted mean cytoplasmic axial ratio (a/b), diameter, shape factor (NSF) maximum angle (Agmax) showed an increasing trend between basal surface segments. Conversely, nuclear-cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio, NSF circularity index (NCI) decreased these Epithelial cells segment had highest N/C lowest cell due their low volumes cytoplasm. However, substantial increases occurred intermediate segment, thereby expanding 136% that cell. Data for a/b, NSF, NCI Agmax suggest epithelial nuclei more ellipsoidal aligned perpendicular basement membrane as they reached epithelium. Numerical densities indicating profiles at this region per unit area or volume. This also suggested was active proliferating zone. Such observations agree with previously reported kinetic autoradiographic studies.