Figure 3. CFTR−/− piglets have exocrine pancreatic destruction and liver and gallbladder abnormalities.
A) Gross appearance of pancreas. Bar, 0.5 cm. B) Loss of parenchyma in the CFTR−/− pancreas. H&E stain. Bars, 500 µm. C) Pancreatic ducts and islets of Langerhans (arrowheads). Bars, 100 µm. D) CFTR−/− ductules and acini dilated by eosinophilic inspissated material that formed concentrically lamellar concretions (arrows and insert). H&E stain. Bars, 33 µm. E) Ducts within the CFTR−/− pancreas. H&E stain, left; PAS stain, right. Bars, 50 µm. F) Microscopic appearance of liver. H&E stain. Arrows indicate focal expansion of portal areas by chronic cellular inflammation. Bars, 100 µm. G) Gross appearance of gallbladder. When the CFTR+/+ gallbladder was sectioned, bile drained away rapidly with collapse of the mucosal wall. CFTR−/− bile was congealed (arrow) and retained in the lumen of a smaller gallbladder. Bar, 0.5 cm. H) Microscopic appearance of gallbladder. CFTR−/− gallbladders had congealed, inspissated bile with variable mucus production (arrows, H&E stain) highlighted as a magenta color in periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stained tissue. Bars, 500 µm. Images are representative of severe pancreatic lesions (15/15 CFTR−/− piglets), mild to moderate liver lesions (3/15), and mild to severe gall bladder/duct lesions (15/15).