Intestinal Auerbach plexus structures with NADH histochemistry in three strains of spontaneous diabetic rats / Estructuras del plexo de Auerbach intestinal con histoquímica del NADH en tres líneas de ratas espontáneamente diabéticas

The enteric nervous system comprises two major systems: the submucosal and the myenteric plexus. Theaim of this study was to describe the myenteric plexusfrom three strains of spontaneous diabetic rats from thehistological point of view. Samples of small intestineand of proximal and distal colon were obtained fromthree spontaneous diabetic rats i.e., eSS, eSMT, βstrains and 1-year old Wistar rats. Specimens werestained with NADH (β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide,reduced form) histochemical technique andexamined with light microscope. Microscopically little modifications in mesh-like structure of intestinal Auerbach’s plexus from eSS were detected in comparisonwith Wistar rats samples. Intestinal plexus of eSMT and β rats showed disruption of mesh-like structures, modifications in the slightly colored background (smooth muscle) and augmented vascularization. Small intestine and colon are affected. In short: In our spontaneously diabetic rat models, mesh-like structure of Auerbach’s plexus is strain dependent.

El sistema nerviso entérico comprende dos sistemas mayores: el plexo submucoso y el plexo mientérico. Este estudio describe la estructura histológica del plexo mientérico en tres líneas de ratas espontáneamente diabéticas. Especímenes de intestino delgado, colon proximal y colon distal fueron obtenidos de tres líneas de ratas espontáneamente diabéticas: eSS, eSMT, β y Wistar de 1 año de edad. Los materiales obtenidos fueron procesados con la técnica histoquímica del NADH (β-nicotinamida adenina dinucleotido, forma reducida) y observados en un microscopio óptico. Pequeñas modificaciones histológicas en la estructura reticular del plexo de Auerbach intestinal pueden ser detectados en las ratas eSS cuando son comparadas con las ratas Wistar. La estructura reticular del plexo de Auerbach de las ratass eSMT y β muestran una desaparición de dicha estructura reticular, disminución de la coloración de base (músculo liso) y un aumento de la vascularización. Tanto el intestino delgado como el colon están afectados. Resumiendo: en nuestros modelos experimentales de ratas diabéticas la estructura reticular del plexo de Auerbach es dependiente de la línea de rata estudiada.

Evidence of collateralization of vagal efferents innervating subdiaphragmatic segments of the gastrointestinal tract in the rat using the double labelling fluorescent dyes technique

Collateralization of the abdominal vagal trunks was investigated in the rat using double labelling fluorescence dye technique. A total of 20 adult male and female rats were used for the study. The anterior and posterior walls of the corpus and fundus of the stomach were injected with 0.1 microliter (microliter) of 5 aqueous solution of diamidino yellow (Dy) in eight rats. The same quantity and percentage of fast blue (Fb) was injected into the walls of the duodenum and proximal jejunum in the same eight rats that were injected with Dy. The anterior and posterior walls of the stomach of four rats were injected with 0.1 microliter of 5 Dy only while four other rats had injections of 0.1 microliter of Fb only into the duodenum and proximal jejunum. Two control rats had stomach injections with normal saline, and two rats had saline injections into the intestine. Each rat was perfused with a preservative 14 days after injection and serial sections taken for examination with a fluorescence microscope. The results of the experiment revealed that in the eight rats injected simultaneously with Dy and Fb, some neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (DMX) were labelled with Dy only, some with Fb only and some were doubly labelled with Dy and Fb. No double-labelled neurons were seen in the rat injected with one dye only and no labellings at all were seen in the controls. The pattern of labelling obtained in the study is suggestive of collateralization of axons of the abdominal vagal trunks

Studies on the intrinsic nervous system of the wild rodent Calomys callosus digestive tract. II. The submucous plexus

The submucous plexus of the normal small and large intestine of Calomys callosus was studied by NADH and AChE histochemical techniques and by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The plexus contains (X + SD) 7,488 + 293 neurons/cm2 in the duodenum, 5,611 + 836 in the jejunum, 2,741 + 360 in the ileum, 3,067 + 179 in the cecum, and 3,817 + 256 in the proximal colon. No ganglia or nerve cell bodies were seen in the esophagus, stomach, distal colon or rectum. The neurons are pear-shaped with a round or oval nucleus and the neuronal cell profile areas were larger in the large intestine than in the small intestine. Most of the neurons display intense AChE activity in the cytoplasm. AChE-positive nerve fibers are present in a primary meshwork of large nerve bundles and in a secondary meshwork of finer nerve bundles. At the ultrastructural level, the ganglia are irregular in shape and covered with fibroblast-like cells. The nucleoplasm of the neurons is finely granular with a few condensations of chromatin attached to the nuclear envelope. In the neuropil numerous varicosities filled with vesicles of different size and electron densities are seen. The pre- and post-synaptic membrane thickenings are asymmetric. Characteristic glial cells with oval nuclei and few organelles are numerous. These data provide a detailed description of this submucosal meshwork.

Myenteric neurons of the mouse small intestine. Morphometry and acetylcholinesterase activity

1. The myenteric plexus of the small intestine of five C57BL/6J male 5-month-old mice was investigated in whole-mount preparations of the muscularis externa by Giemsa staining and by the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemical technique. 2. The neuronal density was 20212 ñ 3038/cm² (mean ñ SEM) in the duodenum, 21948 ñ 1488/cm² in the jejunum, 25048 ñ 2356/cm² in the ilium. The difference in neuronal density between duodenum and ileum was statistically significant (P<0,05). The total serosal surface area of the small intestine was about 30.80 ñ 2.90 cm², and the total number of neurons was estimated at about 690,000. 3. The neuronal cell and nucleus profile areas ranged, respectively, from 23 to 325 µm² and from 6 to 95 µm² in the small intestine of the mice studied. There were no significant differences in any of the 3 regions in terms of average neuronal cell or nucleus profile areas. 4. For the histochemical demonstration of AChE, the "direct coloring" copper ferrocyanide method was used. AChE-positive nerve fibers were distributed in the myenteric plexus which was formed by a primary meshwork of relatively large nerve bundles and a secondary meshwork of finer nerve bundles. Most of the neurons of the plexus displayed AChE activity in the cytoplasm though the neurons presented different reaction intensities. 5. The results of the present study show that the myenteric plexus of the C57BL/6J mouse small intestine contains a large number of neurons which have different sizes and AChE activities

Anaphylactic reaction in smooth muscle from the duck

1. Para saber si la falta de desensibilizacón en el pollo es característica del tejido aviario, se estudió la reacción anafiláctica en el pato. Las contracciones provocadas en segmentos de intestino de patos sensibilizados activamente, por exposición al antígeno específico, o reacción de Schultz-Dale, se comparan con respuestas similares de intestino sensibilizado de pollo y de cobayo. 2. El músculo liso de pollo sensibilizado activamente, se contrae cuando se le expone in vitro al antígeno específico. La tensión máxima desarrolalada duratne la reacción anafiláctica, se mantiene hasta que se lava la preparación. Una nueva exposición del músculo al antígeno produce otra vez desarrollo de tensión. Esto significa que la exposición al antígeno no desensibiliza el intestino de pollo. 3. El músculo liso intestinal de patos sensibilizados desarrolló tensión cuando se añadió el antígeno específico al bño, la tensión fué transitoria y pronto alcanzó la línea basal aún antes de lavar el antígeno. A diferencia de las observaciones en el músculo liso del pollo, una segunda dosis de antígeno no produce contracciónd el intestino del pato. El músculo liso del pato se comportó como el tejido del mamífero. La exposición al antígeno desensibilizó el intestino del pato. 4. En el pato con sensibilización múltiple, el orden de administración de los antígenos y su desensibilización no modifican la respuesta anafiláctica a cada antígeno. 5. Estos resultados se discuten en términos de las propiedades conocidas de los anticuerpos del pato