The Natural History of Uterine Leiomyomas: Light and Electron Microscopic Studies of Fibroid Phases, Interstitial Ischemia, Inanosis, and Reclamation
Figure 13
Lysosomes and Autophagy. The myocyte in (a) contains several vacuoles (long arrow at top and left lower) and lysosomes (shorter, horizontal arrows in middle). Higher magnification of the 4 structures at the top of the cell in (b) shows partial fusion of vacuoles to form a double membraned autophagosome in the middle (arrow). Granular debris in the vacuolar lumens may represent degenerate myofilament particles. The image in (c) shows degenerate myofilaments in the center (long arrow) and an autophagic vacuole (short arrow) which appears to be engulfing the degenerate filaments. The myofilaments on either side of this central area appear to be intact. The cell in (d) exhibits more advanced changes with loosely expanded cytoplasm separating the myofilaments on the right (asterisk), degenerating and swollen mitochondria (short arrow), and an autophagosome with membranous and particulate debris (long arrow). Original magnification of (a): 11,500x. Original magnification of (b), (c), and (d): 43,000x.
