Fig. 3

Type II alveolar epithelial cell morphology was imaged with electron microscopy. (Control group), (PHC group), (Sham group), (original magnification, 10,000). As it was shown in the above pictures: in sham group, the type II epithelial alveolar cells were almost normal, villi and lamellar corpuscles were observed easily, with no obvious swelling or destruction of mitochondria. In the control group, the microvilli were slightly shorter, with some parts of the microvilli having reduced or even disappeared. There was a decrease in epithelium villi and lamellar corpuscles, while swollen mitochondria and crista membrane fusion were significant. Additionally, rough endoplasmic reticulum expanded, degranulation occurred, the perinuclear gap was wide and nuclear pyknosis occured, means the lung injury was severe in this group Compared with the control group in the PHC group, there were more epithelium villi and lamellar corpuscles, mitochondria swelling was slighter, crista membrane fusion was decreased and the perinuclear space widen slightly