Fig. 2
Representative SEM micrographs of (a) Normal colon showing intact mucosal corrugation with adherent mucus, no denudation, (b) AOM/DSS-induced tumour colon showing ACF with irregular, enlarged pits (white arrow), thickened pericryptal rims (yellow arrow), (c) Colon with IRN monotherapy showing patchy film, (d) Colon with TG alone, demonstrating a continuous surface overlain by adherent mucus, (e) Colon with administration of both IRN and TG, illustrating a recovered architecture with uniform crypt orifices (yellow arrow), thin rim (white arrow), and intact intercrypt relief. Representative TEM micrographs of Normal colon with classic double-membrane structure (N: Nucleus, ER: endoplasmic reticulum, M: Mitochondria), (g) AOM/DSS-treated colon showing irregular disrupted nucleus (DN), chromatin marginalisation (CM), junctional failure (JF), and inflamed and discontinuous basement membrane (BM) during CRC, (h) Colon from the IRN group showing drug-mediated toxicity and stromal remodeling with slightly swollen mitochondrion (sM) and autophagic vesicles (A), (i) Colon from the TG-only group depicting swollen mitochondrion (sM), dilated and vesiculated ER (Dil./Ves. ER), electron-dense lysosomes and areas with cytoplasmic clearing and vacuolization (V), (j) The colon from the IRN + TG group illustrates swollen, fragmented, or disrupted mitochondria (DM), autophagic vesicles (A), severe ER stress with dilated and vesiculated ER (dil ER).
