Negri bodies produced by rabies virus show characteristic inner granules that are:

Appeared in: UPUMS Nsg.Officer-2024

Explanation

Negri bodies are eosinophilic (acidophilic) cytoplasmic inclusions found in specific neurons (e.g., pyramidal cells of the hippocampus, Purkinje cells of the cerebellum) in rabies infections.
The question specifically asks about the 'inner granules' within these bodies.
A key diagnostic feature of classic Negri bodies is the presence of small, dark, basophilic (blue/purple staining) inner granules, known as Innerkörperchen, within the larger eosinophilic (pink staining) matrix.
Therefore, the correct description for the inner granules is basophilic.

Option A: Neutrophilic granules are characteristic of neutrophil white blood cells and are not a feature of viral inclusions like Negri bodies. This staining property is irrelevant to this context.
Option B: This is a close distractor. While the main matrix of the Negri body is indeed eosinophilic, the question specifically asks about the 'inner granules', which are basophilic.
Option C: Acidophilic is a synonym for eosinophilic. Like eosinophilic, it correctly describes the overall matrix of the Negri body but not the specific inner granules.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Histological characteristics of Negri bodies in Rabies infection as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
The identification of Negri bodies in brain tissue (especially the hippocampus and cerebellum) is the definitive, pathognomonic finding for the post-mortem diagnosis of rabies.
Although highly specific, Negri bodies are not found in all cases of rabies, so their absence does not rule out the infection. Other tests like immunofluorescence or PCR are also used.
What if? If a tissue sample was stained only with Eosin dye and not Hematoxylin? The overall pink Negri body might be visible, but the characteristic blue/purple basophilic inner granules would be missed, making definitive identification more difficult.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key terms in the question: 'Negri bodies', 'rabies virus', and most importantly, 'inner granules'.
Recognize that this is a detailed histology/pathology recall question.
Recall the classic description of a Negri body. It is a composite structure with different staining properties.
Differentiate between the staining of the main inclusion (the matrix) and its internal components (the granules).
The matrix is eosinophilic (pink/red). The inner granules are basophilic (blue/purple).
Since the question specifically asks about the 'inner granules', select the option 'Basophilic'.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Histological characteristics of Negri bodies in Rabies infection.
Stem keywords: Negri bodies, rabies virus, inner granules
Lead-in keywords: are

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E6 Pathology- ROBBINS & COTRAN PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASE 10TH Ed p. 1264-1266

Practise the full UPUMS Nsg.Officer-2024

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.