The equine enteric nervous system–neuron characterization and distribution in adults and juveniles.
Abstract: A study of myenteric and submucosal plexuses was undertaken in the jejunum and ileum of horses and ponies in which no clinical or pathological evidence of intestinal abnormality was apparent. Complete transverse sections of the intestine, stained by a modified haematoxylin and eosin method, were examined using up to 20 sequential sections per animal. Information was gathered from adult, juvenile and fetal equidae. In adults, the longitudinal muscle layers were thinner than the circular muscle layers and the ileum had thicker layers compared to the jejunum. In adults, the submucosal plexus had more neurons per section than the myenteric plexus by mean ratios of 1:3 in the jejunum and 1:1.9 in the ileum. In juveniles, the ratios were respectively 1:1.8 and 1:1.5 and in the fetus 1:2.5 and 1:1.3. The three-dimensional distribution of neurons in both plexuses varied from animal to animal and no consistent pattern was observed. Groups of neurons contained between one and 42 cells per section examined and their length in a cranio-caudal direction varied from 10 to over 100 microns. There were few statistical differences observed between the cranial, middle and caudal portions of either the jejunum or the ileum when neuron groups or neuron numbers per section were examined in 10 adult animals.
Publication Date: 1995-01-01 PubMed ID: 8619281DOI: 10.1007/BF01839331Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article discusses a microscopic examination of the intestinal neurons in healthy horses and ponies of varying age groups. It emphasizes the characterisation and distribution of these neurons in the intestinal layers.
Methodology and Samples
- The study was conducted on the intestines (specifically the jejunum and ileum) of healthy horses and ponies. The animals varied from adults to juveniles and fetuses.
- The intestine samples were fully sectioned transversely and stained using a modified haematoxylin and eosin method for detailed examination.
- Up to 20 sequential sections of each animal’s intestines were observed under the microscope.
Findings
- In adult horses, the researchers observed that the longitudinal muscle layers in the intestines were thinner compared to the circular layers.
- The ileum section of the intestines had thicker muscle layers than the jejunum part.
- It was noted that the submucosal plexus in adults had more neurons per section than the myenteric plexus, with a ratio of 1:3 in the jejunum and 1:1.9 in the ileum.
- In juvenile subjects, the neuron ratios for submucosal to myenteric plexus were respectively 1:1.8 in the jejunum and 1:1.5 in the ileum, and in fetuses, they were 1:2.5 and 1:1.3.
Characteristics and Distribution of Neurons
- There was an observed variance in the three-dimensional distribution of neurons in both plexuses among different animals, indicating no consistent pattern.
- The groups of neurons contained between one and 42 cells per each section examined. Their lengths in the cranio-caudal (head to tail) direction ranged from 10 to over 100 microns.
- Statistical analysis showed little difference between different parts (the cranial, middle, and caudal sections) of the jejunum or ileum when neuron groups or neuron numbers per section were compared in adult animals.
Cite This Article
APA
Doxey DL, Pearson GT, Milne EM, Gilmour JS, Chisholm HK.
(1995).
The equine enteric nervous system–neuron characterization and distribution in adults and juveniles.
Vet Res Commun, 19(6), 433-449.
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01839331 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Aging / pathology
- Animals
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Horses / growth & development
- Ileum / cytology
- Ileum / growth & development
- Ileum / innervation
- Intestinal Mucosa / cytology
- Intestinal Mucosa / innervation
- Jejunum / cytology
- Jejunum / growth & development
- Jejunum / innervation
- Myenteric Plexus / cytology
- Myenteric Plexus / ultrastructure
- Neurons / cytology
- Submucous Plexus / cytology
- Submucous Plexus / ultrastructure
References
This article includes 15 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Liang Y, Tarique I, Vistro WA, Liu Y, Wang Z, Haseeb A, Gandahi NS, Iqbal A, Wang S, An T, Yang H, Chen Q, Yang P. Age-associated changes of the intrinsic nervous system in relation with interstitial cells in the pre-weaning goat rumen. Aging (Albany NY) 2019 Jul 14;11(13):4641-4653.
- Yang P, Gandahi JA, Zhang Q, Zhang LL, Bian XG, Wu L, Liu Y, Chen QS. Quantitative changes of nitrergic neurons during postnatal development of chicken myenteric plexus. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2013 Oct;14(10):886-95.
- Murray A, Pearson GT, Cottrell DF. Light microscopy of the enteric nervous system of horses with or without equine dysautonomia (grass sickness): its correlation with the motor effects of physostigmine. Vet Res Commun 1997 Oct;21(7):507-20.
- Doxey DL, Milne EM, Woodman MP, Gilmour JS, Chisholm HK. Small intestine and small colon neuropathy in equine dysautonomia (grass sickness). Vet Res Commun 1995;19(6):529-43.
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