Ultrastructural evidence for an innervation of epithelial enterochromaffine cells in the guinea pig duodenum

The innervation of the duodenal enterochromaffine cells (E.C.) of the guinea pig was studied at the electronmicroscopic level. Pretreatment with 5‐OH‐dopamine was performed to visualize catecholaminergic (CA) nervous elements. Near the basement membrane of all examined E.C. in the crypts, bundles of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta physiologica Scandinavica 1978-09, Vol.104 (1), p.3-12
Main Authors: Lundberg, Jan M., Dahlström, Annica, Bylock, Anders, Ahlman, Håkan, Pettersson, Gösta, Larsson, Inger, Hansson, Hans-Arne, Kewenter, Jan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adrenergic Fibers - ultrastructure
adrenergic nerve terminals
Animals
Basement Membrane - ultrastructure
bundles of nerve processes
Cholinergic Fibers - ultrastructure
Chromaffin System - ultrastructure
Cytoplasmic Granules - ultrastructure
Dendrites - ultrastructure
Duodenum - cytology
Duodenum - innervation
electron microscopy
Enterochromaffin Cells - ultrastructure
enterochromaffine cells
Epithelial Cells
guinea pig duodenum
Guinea Pigs
Hydroxydopamines - pharmacology
Microscopy, Electron
Nerve Endings - ultrastructure
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Summary:The innervation of the duodenal enterochromaffine cells (E.C.) of the guinea pig was studied at the electronmicroscopic level. Pretreatment with 5‐OH‐dopamine was performed to visualize catecholaminergic (CA) nervous elements. Near the basement membrane of all examined E.C. in the crypts, bundles of unmyelinated nerve processes were observed, only partly ensheathed in a Schwann cell cover. At least 4 types of processes could be observed. 1) Boutons containing only small clear vesicles, probably cholinergic fibres; 2) boutons with small clear vesicles, and in addition large (200 nm) granules with a dense matrix (P‐type‐fibres); 3) boutons with small electron‐dense vesicles, probably CA‐fibres; and 4) processes with few vesicles but having the appearance of dendrites. No typical synaptic arrangements were observed, but the minimal distance between the E.C. and the nerve bundles was 150 to 250 nm, thus well within the functional limits of the “autonomic gap”. Thus, epithelial E.C. may be influenced by several types of nervous elements, including CA‐fibres.
ISSN:0001-6772
1365-201X
DOI:10.1111/j.1748-1716.1978.tb06245.x