Ultrastructure of Paneth cells in the intestine of various mammals.

Paneth cells in the following species were observed under an electron microscope: human, rhesus monkey, hare, guinea pig, rat, nude rat, mouse, golden hamster, and insect feeder bat. Secretory granules containing homogeneous electron-dense materials were observed in the Paneth cells of humans, monkeys, hares, guinea pigs, and bats; mouse Paneth-cell granules were bipartite (central core and peripheral halo), and the Paneth cells in rats and golden hamsters had secretory granules showing various electron densities. In humans, monkeys, and bats, immature granules near the Golgi apparatus sometimes showed bipartite substructure. The number and size of secretory granules were also diverse among various animal species. Some lysosome-like bodies were commonly observed in peri- or supranuclear regions, though the size and shape of the bodies differed from cell to cell. In apical cytoplasm, small clear vesicles (100-200 nm diameter) were more-or-less observed in all species examined, and it was especially note that rat Paneth cells contained many clear vesicles. Small dense-cored vesicles (150-200 nm diameter) were rare. It is unlikely that the various ultrastructural features of Paneth cells correlate with the phylogenetical classification.