ISSN:
0003-276X
Keywords:
Life and Medical Sciences
;
Cell & Developmental Biology
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Ultrastructural and histochemical studies have revealed that the mouse colonic mucous membrane receives an extensive autonomic innervation. Nerve fibers enter the mucous membrane through the muscularis mucosae and ramify in the lamina propria where they were often seen in close proximity to smooth muscle cells. Other axons were seen accompanying blood vessels or passing along the basal aspect of the epithelium subjacent to the basement membrane; none were seen either entering the epithelium or within it.Several methods of fixation were employed in order to study their effects on intraaxonal vesicles. It was found that in tissue fixed in either glutaraldehyde in phosphate buffer, or in osmium tetroxide in phosphate buffer, the granular vesicles were better preserved than in tissue fixed in a chrome-osmium tetroxide mixture. The nerve fibers contained mainly agranular vesicles and large granular vesicles (600-1700 Å). Small granular vesicles (300-600 Å) usually associated with adrenergic nerves and specific green fluorescence indicative of catecholamines were only occasionally seen in the mucous membrane. Reserpine depleted the small granular vesicles and also abolished specific fluorescence.Ultrastructural studies showed that the large majority of nerve fibers were acetylcholinesterase positive.These findings indicate that the innervation of the colonic mucous membrane is predominantly cholinergic and that the adrenergic innervation is sparse.
Additional Material:
1 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ar.1091620204
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