NEURON SPECIFIC ENOLASE IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL OBSERVATION ON THE PARALYMPHATIC NEURONS IN SUBMUCOUS NERVE PLEXUS IN THE GUT OF GUINEA PIGS / 解剖学报

ABSTRACT

We have reported previously a peculiar type of neurons in the submucous nerve plexus in the intestine of guinea pigs, and named them tentatively the ′paralymphatic neurons′. In order to further study this type of neurons, the immunohistochemical observation for neuron specific enolase (NSE) reactivity of the enteric nerve plexus in guinea pigs was carried out in this investigation. We found that all the neurons in the enteric nerve plexus showed NSE positive reaction. The paralymphatic neurons located closely against to lymphatic vessels in submucous nerve plexus in small intestine and colon also exhibited same NSE positive reaction as other neurons. All the smooth muscle and connective tissue cells were NSE negative. Most of the paralymphatic neurons exhibited typical morphological features of neurons. Although some cells did not show obvious neuronal characters, but they all presented the same positive reactivity. Hence, this study provide another reliable evidence to confirm the exact neuronal nature of the paralymphatic neurons.