Intestinal Protective Effects of Herbal-Based Formulations in Rats against Neomycin Insult
Figure 5
Representative microscopic images of hematoxylin- and eosin-stained cecal tissue sections of rats in different experimental groups. The detailed treatment regimen and experimental conditions are described in Section 2. Column (a): original magnification ×10; Column (b): an enlarged projection (original magnification ×20) of a selected portion of the tissue section represented by (a). The hollow and solid arrowhead represents the mucus layer and mucosal crypts, respectively. The tissue sections of control animals show normal histological architecture of the mucosa characterized by the presence of distinct and intact mucus layer and the regular appearance of deep crypts that open to the surface epithelium. In contrast, the cecal mucosa of the neomycin-treated rats demonstrate an impaired structure encompassing frequent disruption of the mucus layer, abrupt reduction in the number of deep crypts as well as a marked abundance of smaller and aberrant crypts that are dispersed in multilayers. The administration of both herbal formulations as well as the probiotic in the neomycin-treated rats tends to restore the normal architecture of the cecum but with varied degrees.
