Journal article

Publication year: 1992

Pages: 268-274

Journal: Acta anatomica

Volume number: 143

Issue number: 4

ISSN: 0001-5180

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1159/000147261

Publisher: Karger

Abstract: 
The mucosal plexus of the rat colon descendens is constituted of a network of nerves that, in contrast to most other segments of the digestive tract, contains also ganglia. The ganglia, consisting of neurons and glial cells, are located in the basal part of the lamina propria at distances between 100 and 1,200-mu-m. They are not vascularized. The neurons in these ganglia were characterized by means of: (1) the histochemical demonstration of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. (2) the immunocytochemical identification of neurofilament proteins (NFP; 200 kD) and (3) their ultrastructure. The glial cells, which were AChE negative, could be distinguished from the neurons by differences in size and chromatin pattern. All neurons of the mucosal plexus reveal AChE activity in the perikaryon, but only parts of the axons are AChE positive. NFP-like immunoreactivity was detected in the perikarya but only in a minor part of the axons. These findings confirm previous light-microscopical observations and add new evidence for the existence of neurons (ganglia) in the mucosal plexus of the rat colon.

Harvard Citation style: Mestres, P., Diener, M. and Rummel, W. (1992) Histo- and Immunocytochemical Characterization of the Neurons of the Mucosal Plexus in the Rat Colon, Acta anatomica, 143(4), pp. 268-274. https://doi.org/10.1159/000147261

APA Citation style: Mestres, P., Diener, M., & Rummel, W. (1992). Histo- and Immunocytochemical Characterization of the Neurons of the Mucosal Plexus in the Rat Colon. Acta anatomica. 143(4), 268-274. https://doi.org/10.1159/000147261